Some Memorial Day reading

It’s Memorial Day in the United States, the day when we particularly pay respect to those who have given their lives in military service to our country. I’ve never served myself, but my grandfather was a medic and my uncle is also a vet, plus I’ve got several friends and acquaintances still in the military today. Like so many, I’m eternally grateful for what they do to preserve our safety and way of life and try to display my appreciation every chance I get.

Speaking of doing just that, a Memorial Day reading list of comics that honor or highlight military service is a pretty paltry offering in the grand scheme, but hey, you stick with what you know.

(Speaking of what I don’t know, I’ve never gone back and familiarized myself with the war comics of yore, but if anybody feels like recommending some in the comments section, I’d be curious to know which ones were the cream of the crop in your mind)

CAPTAIN AMERICA #255
I tend to think of the origin of Steve Rogers, the original and iconic Captain America, as being the best and most quintessential story about what it means to serve your country and possess that drive to be a part of something more than yourself (and again, I myself have never been in the military, so please take statements I make like that one with your preferred helping of salt). It’s a tale of a young man possessing inadequate physical capabilities to be a hero, but a relentless heart and spirit that would not quit and propelled him all the way to being not only America’s greatest symbol for liberty, but the most inspirational hero within the Marvel Universe. Though it’s a story that has been told many times by many great creative teams over the past seven decades, I don’t believe any two folks captured the majesty of Cap’s humble beginnings better than the quintessential team of Roger Stern and John Byrne in this special 40th anniversary issue.

THE JUSTICE SOCIETY RETURNS!
In 1999 as DC prepared to re-launch the Justice Society franchise with JSA, they tested the waters first with the “Justice Society Returns!” event, set in the Golden Age and showcasing the old school heroes in a series of one-shots bookended by two chapters. It was a pretty awesome and underrated little event that I need to get more in-depth into another time, but the gist was that a bunch of Nazis during World War II use Doctor Occult to summon a mystical baddie named Stalker who the JSA battles in Washington DC, but then he splits his power all over the globe, leading the team to pair off in classic fashion to go after the bad guys. Some of the one-shots were of a higher quality than others, of course, but I include it here because among my favorite chapters were those set in the theater of war with the military playing a strong supporting role, in particular National Comics #1 where Mark Waid and Aaron Lopresti place The Flash and Mister Terrific behind enemy lines as well as Smash Comics #1 where Doctor Mid-Nite tries to put up with Hourman against a similar backdrop in a story by Tom Peyer and Steve Sadowski.

THE LIGHT BRIGADE
Another oft-overlooked gem (yeah, I should get to this one too), it’s a mix of straight-up action with some spiritual overtones and pretty heavy metaphysical questions as a crew of WWII grunts end up with an angel in their ranks and get propelled into a quest to protect a heavenly artifact from falling into demonic hands who happen to have allied from the Nazis. On the one hand, it’s not exactly light reading from writer Peter Tomasi as I alluded to above, but on the other, the themes of brotherhood, commitment, and why soldiers do what they do are really the driving stuff behind this story; the angels and the flaming swords and the unkillable Nazis are just window dressing. This really is a story about the willpower of the human spirit, particularly in those who serve in the military, with jaw-dropping art by Peter Snejbjerg lighting the way.

AMAZING SPIDER-MAN #574
A still-recent story that we’ll have to see whether or not it stands the test of time, but I was genuinely moved by Marc Guggenheim and Barry Kitson’s account of Peter Parker’s tormentor-turned-friend Flash Thompson’s time in Iraq and I don’t think there’s much question he’s perhaps a more interesting character now than he has been in years as a result of this story and the glimpses that have followed. In part it’s a story about how Spider-Man inspired Flash to try and be a hero, but really it’s more about how that heroic drive resides in normal people who can’t fly or lift cars, and how they exist in the real world. I’ve heard and seen praise of this issue by actual military folks and their families, which of course is a far greater stamp of approval than I could ever give it.

Happy Memorial Day and to those men and women serving my country, thank you so much for what you do.

A hectic Week!

Gals

What a week and its only just Monday so far.

We took a trip to Kilkenny at the weekend to visit the new boutique "Smoking Lily" on Kieran's St. It's going to be an absolutely intriguing style haven with a mixture of treasures all under the one roof. Stylista boutique owner Shona has a vision for her boutique with different areas showcasing, fashion exchange (where you can consign with Shona and bring in all your hidden fashion gems gathering dust in your wardrobe), an exclusive Vintage den, where Irish Vintage Brand "Perk Up" will keep you stocked up on stunning glamour from yesteryear, different sections dedicated to select Irish Designer and featuring yours truelly. Yes it's official gals, we are going to have our very first featured presence in a brick and mortar store! So now there will be a bonzie vendor where you can go and pick up a piece for your own wardrobe.

We will be stocking up on tatter tees, bags, accessories and much more over the coming weeks in anticipation for the offical launch at the end of the month. Hope to see you guys there. :)

ps. bring a smile, Shona is a doll and loves company!

Tomorrow Night my father will be launching his Photographic Exhibition in Cahir, Co.Tipperary so I am really looking forward to attending and blogging about that. I have already seen a few samples for the showcase and I was blown away by the pictures so far. Will keep you posted on how that goes. :) (ps. good luck Dad!!!, so proud of you!)

Friday Night I'm heading out to my pal Caz's theatre show in Waterford by Push Pull productions. Caz won a competition last year for scriptwriting and this weekend sees her play come to fruition in a gorgeous theatre venue in the City.

Saturday Night we are heading to Kilkenny for the launch of our pal Blainnead Hennessey's new commerical photographic studio "Shutterbug". An absolutely stunning venue for fashion/editorial/commercial photography run by brother and sister Blainnead ( Irish Interiors Writer and StyleBitches.com fame) and Eoin (Professional Irish Photographer).

Sunday Night ( this particular one is on a bank holiday so nobody has work on Monday) however I'm just pooped writing about this weeks shindigs, I can't imagine being up for a night out on Sunday too, however you never know how the weekend shapes up.

All this and a collection to be working on too, not to mention a very exciting project on the way!! More about that soon. :) Well a girls gotta keep busy. xxx

Summer 2010 Kick Off

It's officially summer. Time for bikinis, flip flops, otter pops, fun, and sun...

The only prob? It's been three weeks since graduation and during this, the beginning of my final summer before med school, I've done close to nothing. Ok, I've read three books (the Queen of Babble series), watched a lot of movies, finally picked a medical school (the U), found housing in the city, spent time with some friends, and purchased the perfect bedding for my new chic 'med student' apartment. It's just...

I've not really done much of anything productive.

So... I've decided to call a Mulligan on these last 3 weeks and to kick off my summer 2010 right by making a few summer plans and goals:

1) The Summer Job- part time, fun, and easy... I've got 1 month in Idaho and I'll be working :)

2) Brain Food- Read at least 1 book/week... This week it's Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence People.

3) Hottie With a Naughty Body- Get a gym pass and get off that couch sweety.

4) Get With the Times- I've been so busy this year that I've completely fallen off the pop culture band wagon. I'm ready to indulge in a little musical and entertainment education... First off? A Glee Season 1 marathon.

5) MD Cribs- Operation sweet apartment commences. I've got my bed and bedding, but I've got a long way to go to get my first unfurnished apartment up to par... I'm excited.

There you have it. June won't know what hit it.
That's about all I've got for now. I'll keep you posted people.

Flowery....

The theme is flowers....

Macam biasa,kan baru belajar buat munge rose ni,maka tersgtlah happy bila customer kata "ikut suka nurul janji munge"....ho..ho..ho..

Thanks Kak Yati(she was my supportive & regular customer).....

Mermaid Cake

My cyber friend, Hana has visiting my house with a mission to learn basic fondant cake with me & in conjunctions of her daughter's birthday the mermaid theme was in the list. the decorations session.....

The final result...

The birthday girl,Miss Hasya....

Chimera at the BFI

Here's some news... on Monday July 5th as part of the Future Human season, my 1990 miniseries Chimera is getting a screening at the BFI South Bank. A while back I was asked if I'd say a few words before it, but that's now expanded to become a Q&A with me and director Lawrence Gordon Clark.

Which feels weirdly symmetrical because back when the BFI South Bank was the National Film Theatre, they screened Chimera before it was broadcast. It was part of a season of new TV drama, and we did something similar then. I could probably dig out my twenty-year-old notes, if I made any, and give the same answers. Last I heard, they were planning to show the first two parts at about 6:30pm followed by a 30 minute break, and then the final two at 8.30pm.

The day of the screening coincides with the release of the Region 2 DVD. I have some details of those DVD extra features now. There are sleeve notes from me, Lawrence, and Executive Producer Archie Tait. There's an image gallery, and the original press kit for the show, and the script of an earlier radio adaptation of the source novel. There's also an on-camera interview that I did for Revelation a couple of years back when they first started pursuing the DVD rights.

In addition to that I've recorded some commentary for behind-the-scenes footage shot during the production. It's been tricky to juggle, with me being here and the editor working on the footage at the authoring house in London, and I haven't yet seen the results. But there's a look inside the workshop of effects house Image Animation, designers and creators of the hybrid prosthetic, along with coverage of the shooting of the episode one finale and stuff from the Yorkshire locations.

Future Human runs through July and August and there's a listing of the screenings and events here. Just take a look at some of the stuff they're presenting. 2001, Chris Marker's La Jetee, BBC 2's seminal series of sf adaptations Out of the Unknown, Silent Running, The Incredible Shrinking Man, Tarkovsky's Solaris... and also in July, a programme running in parallel, Brian Clemens, Auteur of the Avengers. Seeing my little show in there makes me feel like I crashed the A-list party of my dreams.

It just struck me that I was twenty-five when I wrote the book.

I need to sit here quietly for a while and think about that.

Dennis Hopper

I just heard on the radio that Dennis Hopper died at his Venice home this morning, of complications relating to prostate cancer.

Not too long ago, I was working on a project where the producer was pursuing him for a major role. To be honest, the part and the actor weren't a fit, and Hopper knew it. But the producer felt that Hopper's name in the credits would help to sell the show internationally, and kept after him.

When it finally didn't happen, my one regret was that I'd be missing out on the chance to meet a legend.

The rise, fall and rebirth of Hopper's career will be charted elsewhere, but let me revive part of an old post to direct your attention to a performance in that was - I believe - the actor's first in a leading role:

Did you ever see Curtis Harrington's first feature, Night Tide? I'd wanted to see it for ages and finally managed to catch up with it last year.

It has a similar setup to Cat People - it features a very young Dennis Hopper as a sailor on leave in an off-season seaside resort, who falls for a woman who plays a mermaid in a sideshow. But she always holds something of herself back, and there's a sense of something more to her past. It could be a setup for a creature feature. But like Cat People, it's a naturalistic movie that presses the Creature Feature buttons.

I suppose the subtle stuff like that can't exist without the unsubtle stuff to be subtler than. If that makes any sense.

Linko! XLVI

* So Kevin joined the blog this week...or is joining I guess (post some shit, bro!). While Ben's introduction was lovely as usual, I thought I'd point out that K-Smooth has been a busy bee of late elsewhere including Marvel.com where he took over my old Tuesday Q&A gig and at CBR. To help acclimate you to the finer points of his style, here are three links from each site that you might want to check out:

On the Marvel side, we've got a really nice Jonathan Hickman Q&A about S.H.I.E.L.D. (by the by, it feels like I've been waiting forever for issue #2), a sufficiently goofy Q&A where Dan Slott dodges Kevin's most ardent attempts to pry info on Amazing Spider-Man #600 (it was Aunt May that got hitched!) and one of a series of profiles of the upcoming Young Allies team with Sean McKeever, this one on Firestar (who I always liked as a kid).

On the CBR side, don't miss Matt Sturges on JSA All-Stars, an engaging report on the C2E2 panel that for some reason paired Mark Waid with Jeff Smith and a Francis Manapul Flash interview that you'd never be able to tell was conducted by Kevin last minute on my couch with me standing over him going "Oh, and ask him about Geoff Johns' big plans" in crappy fake sign language.

* And this isn't a link, but with Kevin joining, it's really apparent that I'm the only dude on the blog who's not looking like a total goof in his photo on purpose. Best comment suggestion for what my photo should be instead wins one back issue I find in my apartment, free shipping included.

* The one link you should all TOTALLY click on this week: apparently some Sirius radio show did a tribute to Alex Chilton this week featuring the insanely satisfying Sondre Lerche and perhaps my favorite power pop frontman of the past 20 years, John Davis of Superdrag. It replays on the Sirius site Sunday evening and Monday evening. I know I'll be listening.

* It's Memorial Day this weekend. Fortunately for me at least, I don't have any close relatives who had to give their lives for this country, but I do have two vets that are very close to me: my brother and my grandfather. The former is blogging about the latter at One Pilot's War. It's mostly a transcription of grandpa's love letters to grandma during WW2 with some other info thrown in.

* Speaking of my family, I spent last weekend checking out Robots Need Love Too, a robot-themed art show featuring my homeboy for life Tony Purcell. I'm going to try and get some photos loaded up from that in the next few days, but in the meantime you should not hesitate to bookmark Tony's new art blog where he'll be posting works like the full pitbull painting you see at the right.

* OK, back to comic book nerd shit. All praise to Tom Spurgeon for pointing me in the direction of this post on forgotten Captain Marvel ripoffs both because it was awesome and because it introduced me to Charlton Vs. MLJ, which is a blog about exactly what it sounds like which for me is total nerd porn.

* Speaking of MLJ/Might Crusaders posts pointed out by Spurge, this post highlighting the original appearance of the Fox made me laugh out loud for real. I'd show you, but I don't want to take hits from Booksteve, so click through, huh?

* This bummed me out for some reason I can't explain because it's not like I ever watched him on TV, you know?

* Comic book homework Link: Reading the first issue of Secret Avengers this week, I realized I had no idea what the Serpent Crown actually was. Thanks, Wikipedia!

* Bryan Lee O'Malley Tweeted this pretty complete list of Scott Pilgrim video game references. It's thorough, for sure.

* Finally, Jim McCann introduced me to "Premakes" which I'm sure are pretty fun across the board, but the following "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and "Ghost Busters" ones stood out in particular:

Congrats to Eibhilín!!

Gals,

We were delighted to receive an email recently from a previous client of ours Eibhilín who was sharing her good news with us about her prize at Ladies Day at the Curragh Races.

Eibhilín looks absolutely stunning in her ensemble, with a bonzie bolero complimenting her dress and a gorgeous piece of millinery by Eibhilín herself! Well done for placing in the Ladies Day prizes Eibhilín we are thrilled to be a part of that special day for you!! :)

To contact Eibhilín for some stunning millinery work head on over to http://www.millinery.ie/ for more details.

Lynn Phegley Watches "Lost" - "Dumb Ending"

My mom's name is Lynn Phegley. She teaches music to elementary school kids in Grand Blanc, Michigan. She likes classic Hollywood musicals, trashy romance novels and "Sex In The City."

And for some reason she's seen damn near every episode of "Lost."

This week, our ongoing "discussion" comes to an end, and as one of several texts mom sent me during the finale declared it simply "dumb ending" (another said "I think it's Atlantis"), I bet you can guess what she thought. Though in a way, mother was strangely vindicated with the whole parallel reality thing.

Thanks one last time to this site for the screencaps.

Let's begin.

ON "WHAT THEY DIED FOR"


"I don't know what to think about 'Lost.' They're just going to kill everyone off until they solve their story. That's not a very good ending. 'Let's kill everyone off so Jack can guard the light!' Whatever that is. And I told you there is no such thing as a parallel universe! That's the problem with it. This is just someone's dream or nightmare. I don't know what. The whole thing is a nightmare!

"There was nothing really shocking this week except those idiots going into the closet. That was stupid! I thought there was a tunnel in there they were getting to. And Ben is just goes 'I've been waiting for you...blah blah blah...they're in my closet.' He's like a zombie."

[Me: "Well, he's been through a lot."]

"[Laughs] You're making excuses! He has no motivation. He's just a follower. A zombie. He's devoid of emotion."

[Me: "What about in the parallel reality where the French woman told him he was the only father Alex ever had and then he teared up? What was that?"]

"That was a weirdo-ism. It wouldn't be anything if you didn't know about the island, so that was nothing-ness. There's no connection. That's just to throw you off course. This reality has nothing to do with the island. They're not really trying to tell a story. What they're really trying to sell a TV show and keep everyone hooked. If there was a real ending, they'd have lost their audience long ago.

[Me: "That's unfair. If they were just out for money, they'd have run it over eight years right into the ground."]

"No. I think when they decided to only do so many seasons, they said, 'Let's make it as twisted as possible so that we can throw everybody off.'"


"With Jack, it was like Indiana Jones. You drink out of the goblet and you're all-knowing. And what happened to those temple people? They all got scattered! That's another weird thing. Maybe they killed them all off, though. But where'd Locke's people go. He must've smoked 'em. He smoked 'em!"

"I don't think anyone's going to live happily ever after. Here's my thing: they kill the Smoke Monster, and then they fix up the yellow houses. Then they have to get rid of Ben.

"And with Kate, they might as well kill her off so she can rest in peace. Maybe on Hurley will have a happy ending. And you think Sawyer and Juliet will meet in the parallel reality? That would be stupid!"

[Me: "What if they get to the end and Desmond gets them all together and goes, 'You've got to realize that none of this is real'? Would that make you happy?"]

"NO."

ON "THE END"


"Well, they were in Purgatory all along! Purgatory is limbo where you wait to get to heaven, and that's where they were. They didn't even know enough to wait."

"And I told you Jack didn't have a son! That was a stupid ending. And what was with that woman who was what's his name's mother? She knew where Desmond was going. Desmond was like that one character in...what's the movie about the angel in the body of the football player?"

[Me: "Warren Beatty. 'Heaven Can Wait.'"]

"Right! Desmond was like in 'Heaven Can Wait.' She wants to know if he'll take the son with him, and he says, 'Not tonight.' Do you think Ben knew they were in Purgatory? I don't think he knew. None of them were in the church. I think he's still living somewhere.

"They did have some snappy dialogue in there. There were like three lines that were unbelievably dumb. 'I've got a bad feeling about this.'"


"It was kind of predictable in a way. Even I predicted that Hurley was the all-knowing one. But Ben must have still been alive because he didn't go in. I think they all died and waited for Jack, and he died last. They just didn't age in heaven."

[Me: "I don't think so. I think the people on the plane made it out, and over the years the moment they each died was the moment before they woke up on that plane that landed."]

"I don't think so. In fact, I don't even know what you just said. Well, whatever. It was like a big love story at the end. All the couples got back together, which was weird too. They reached far for an ending. The whole thing was far-fetched! The good stories are about emotion."

[Me: "This story was brimming with emotion!"]

"That's what kept it from being dullsville."

[Me: "But that's the one thing you liked. And the fans online have been saying 'We want to know about Walt! We want answers!' But the creators said, 'People don't care about all that. They care about the characters.' So in the end, you were the winner, not the nerds."]

"Oh yeah, I feel like I'm a winner." [Sarcasm watch!]


"They dragged it out. It could have been two hours. And the worst commercial was the one for Target with the smoke detector. Did you see that? That was stupid."

"I feel disappointed. It was anti-climactic I guess I would say. When they were in that church, they should have had a ceremony or whatever. They should have walked through that door and came out on The Island in its restored splendor. That church should have been on The Island, and Hugo had built it. That's what was wrong with that. They should have said, 'Come on, Jack' and gone out the door to the little yellow houses where the water always runs. [Laughs]"

Back on Home Turf

Gals,

What an adventure!!! I'm back from my girls trip to Vegas , needless to say there was all sorts of shenanigans, none of which quite make it through the blog filter so we shall say it was a wonderful experience and one which I won't be forgetting anytime soon. :)

There's a few tumbleweeds sweeping through the blog at the moment as I have been busy this week catching up on orders and correspondence. I got back to a few lovely emails from clients who have been busy rocking their bonzie pieces out and about. I'm gonna post the pics over the rest of the week to share them with you too.

The first of those to hit our inbox and bring a smile into our day was our gorgeous bride Carolina who recently married her sweetheart and chose a bonzie Venetian wrap to compliment her gown. I love the couture look of the overall ensemble and I absolutely adore this picture, what a gorgeous couple!

Congrats to Carolina and her handsome new hubbie!

xx

bonzie & ger

Testing the Audience

We just got back from Las Vegas. It's a long drive through the desert, with nothing but country music on the radio. If you're ever thinking about it, you have been warned.

The last time we did the trip was around 1980, and that was by Greyhound bus. Back then it was essentially still '50s Ratpack and Mafia-style Vegas, where a couple of kids with backpacks could have a cheap time with inexpensive buffets and free champagne. Now it's like they attach a suction pump to your wallet as you arrive, and it keeps on draining money until you finally pull free. But we wouldn't have missed it.

We got a good deal on a suite in the Palazzo, right on the Strip. Eight floors down and right across the street, two full-sized pirate ships did battle every hour and one of them sank, bobbing back up at the end of the show like the only decent scene in Raise the Titanic. There were working gondolas floating through our hotel's shopping plaza and a volcano in front of the Mirage along the way. Every hotel is like an indoor city, and each has a theme. In one afternoon we walked through crazed fantasy reproductions of Venice, Paris, Ancient Rome and, erm, Atlantis, which I suspect some Americans believe is as real as all the other places. One night we went off the strip to the Rio (theme: 70s Blackpool acid flashback) for Penn and Teller's show. Penn and Teller have a residence there, with the theatre named after them... it was a bare-bones show with no sets, just a jazz piano player and one performing assistant, but we had great seats and saw some neat stuff.

A couple of days of it were enough... at one point I found myself sitting eight floors up with a direct view down on all the madness, communicating with home in real time and running off show reservations on the in-room printer. On one of the suite's three huge flatscreen TVs, one of a dozen rolling news channels was telling of how robots were working to cap an oil well amidst ecological disaster along the coast of Lousiana. Down below my floor-to-ceiling window was a street scene that could have been lifted from Harry Harrison's Make Room, Make Room, while behind the hotel fantasy facades stretched a Ballardian wasteland of concrete, desert lots, and high speed roads. It was as if every SF novel I ever read had come true all at once and in the same place... in the foyer the next morning I even saw a bunch of service people in fatigues and with kitbags checking out to return to duty, with a sense of dislocation straight out of The Forever War.

Note that I say novels, and not movies. Much of the SF literature I was reading decades ago, some of it written decades before that, still stands as an effective imagining of the potential variety of the human context. It wasn't predictive, nor did it ever purport to be. It was exploratory and prophetic, and therein lay the joy of being a science fiction reader; SF as a magnificent rummage-chest of thought-out possibilities.

Whereas the movies did something different. It's the difference between actual science fiction and the theme park ride that is sci-fi. Looking at them now, you can see how the movies reflected their time without ever really moving out of it. There's nothing more dated than a sci-fi movie's idea of futuristic fashion.

But there was a serious purpose to the trip, as well. I went to a demonstration of 3D television, and later spoke to the guy in charge of one of the audience testing centres on the Las Vegas strip. There are two such centres in town, and two more in Florida; the idea is that both locations offer a wide cross-section of the American population (I might also say that I saw more seriously unhealthy people in the first six hours in Vegas than in my first six months in Los Angeles.)

They get people in off the strip, record their reactions during the screening of a show, and ask them a series of detailed questions afterwards. The raw data goes to the networks and the studios. Eleventh Hour was tested here, with Rufus Sewell delivering one of the highest-ever scores of a new series lead. When the results were in, the pilot was recut to remove Rachel's businesslike motel seduction of a local detective; the test audience said they liked the character and didn't want to see or hear anything bad about her.

And did the demonstration change my opinion of 3D television? The technology certainly worked, and worked well, in that the image was diamond-sharp and had depth. As long as you wore the glasses and didn't tilt your head or move from the couch. Therein, I think, lies the genuine drawback. 3D television is like stereo radio. It's OK to have it if it's no extra trouble.

Garden theme cake

It's red velvet cupcakes,16 pcs for hantaran with garden theme ... Picture quite blurs ...snapped on 3 am..wuargh...soo sleepy

Loves the sweet pea....I've just knew how to made it....hu..hu..(org lain dah lama tahu buat),Customer also placed 50 pcs cupcakes for makan-makan with love & flowery theme.
And same goes to 5 petals flower...just knew...hu..hu..I've learned all these during Wilton course 1...

Thanks Halila....

K-Smooooooooooth

In February of 2007, a ray of sunshine entered my, Kiel and Rickey's collective life (yes, even then we were sharing some bizarre amalgam existence like we do on Twitter) when Kevin Mahadeo began interning at Wizard.

Seriously, for us kinda-jaded comics industry "vets," Kevin was like a breath of fresh air; a person who genuinely loved comics and reminded us why we did too. The kid took to every task assigned to him with enthusiasm and vigor, going on seemingly non-stop about why Superman was so cool or how excited he was the new issue of Captain America.

Yeah, of course we had to put Kev through the school of hard knocks, nicknaming him "Tyler" and then calling him that whenever he screwed up (he can explain that one better) and I may have given him one or 30 tasks under the guise of "breaking him down to build him back up," but it must have worked, because he developed into a fine writer and a real credit to our biz. Kevin has been working with me over on Marvel.com at least a year or so now and continues to be both one of my favorite folks to work with and a guy who constantly works to up his game. Creators love him and so do we.

So it's with great pleasure that for the first time since we started this crazy gig, me, Rickey and Kiel welcome a new Cool Kid to the Table as Kevin Mahadeo joins our ranks. Can't wait to read his first post coming soon! Welcome aboard, Kev!

(Also, Kevin dressed up as Harry Potter one day back in '07. Not because it was Halloween or anything, just cos. Gotta love that. Here, he appears to be a cat.)

where is your heart

Assalamualaikum warahmatullahi wabaratuh..

for today's entry, i'm glad to share with you a video clip that i'm touched. a talk by an imam which is conducted in arabic language and it comes with english translation. hope yo get the benefit from it. inshallah.

let us slow down and question ourselves today----- which heart is ours?
do we still living for appearances and worldly pleasures?

May Allah cause our hearts to turn in His obidience constantly and let it not be deceived by the illusion of this world.

Surely on the ultimate day, everything will seem regretful except the good deeds and the time we spend only to get His Mercy and Pleasure....

My Five Favorite Avengers

Ok, so the Lost fervor has died down a bit and it’s time to cash a check I wrote over a week ago.

Yes, you can say goodbye to those sleepless nights, because I’m finally set to reveal…

…my five favorite Avengers.

THOR
In last week’s Avengers #1, after Kang gets blasted across several roofs via a blast of mystic lightning from Mjolnir, Hawkeye says, “And that’s what it’s like to be on the Avengers with Thor” (or something similar enough for me to get away with it)—and that right there pretty much sums up why I love Thor as an Avenger: He’s the ultimate powerhouse bruiser in the Marvel Universe (excepting The Hulk, who is more a force of nature) and thus it’s number one team is just cooler when he’s on it. Thor makes both the best cavalry as well as the best way for a villain to score a quick belt notch and thus make whoever takes them down seem like more of a badass. It’s also always rad to see Thor with his Shakespearean speak dealing with reporters or standing eight feet tall with a smile or sneer over the rookie Avengers or enjoying mead and mutton feasts provided by Jarvis. Thor is such a crazy, unique character that everything about him and a group of mortal heroes just gets better when the two get mixed.

LUKE CAGE
For my money, the best addition to the Avengers in the last decade and Brian Bendis’ greatest triumph as godfather of the franchise. Luke Cage was a character who had been around for decades before he got roped into New Avengers, and during at least half that time I’d say no way he qualified as A-list material, but it was like the hometown boy making good and getting into the majors or something, so we dug it at first. But Bendis was bound and determined to show that Luke belonged, and I’d say he succeeded. The nice thing was, though, that Bendis didn’t have Cage become some out of nowhere world-beater dispatching cosmic level threats in a feverish attempt to prove he wasn’t wasting a roster slot, he just slowly but surely became the quiet conscience of the team, the guy who steered everybody else in the right direction, and yes, was still one bad sonuvagun. When Luke became de facto team leader with no official proclamation post-Secret Invasion, it felt totally natural and totally earned because his maturation process had been a joy to experience—well done, Mr. Bendis.

THE WASP
Janet Van Dyne grew up in the Avengers, entering as a flighty young woman and ultimately becoming perhaps the gutsiest heroes male or female to ever serve. The thing is, I liked The Wasp in all her incarnations, and her versatility was one of her best assets. She was ridiculously Silver Age as the original Avengers’ flirtatious airhead, but unlike a lot of other female characters of the time, she kinda seemed in on the joke, whether Stan Lee and others wrote her that way intentionally or not, and that made her cooler than The Invisible Woman or Wonder Woman. But no doubt Janet Van Dyne’s finest moments came after in the fallout of her messy domestic dispute with and divorce from Hank Pym, rather than curl up in a ball somewhere, she marched into Avengers Mansion and told no less than Captain America and Iron Man in no uncertain terms that she was the team’s new chairperson and they’d better just deal with it. I dug that Jan was a damn effective team leader and held the group together during the darkest days of “Under Siege,” yet didn’t suddenly become so uptight she wouldn’t come on to Paladin shamelessly—this balance of bold and bubbly made her a great character for the remainder of her days.

CAPTAIN AMERICA (Steve Rogers)
The Avengers weren’t really the Avengers until Captain America came along; they were just a loose-knit group of bickering demigods trying their best to work together until they thawed Steve Rogers out of this iceberg and he decided the team was a good idea and threw his considerable talents towards making it work. The heart and purity of Captain America was what inspired the bulk of the Avengers to be Earth’s Mightiest Heroes over the years, and placed them several notches above the Defenders, Champions, etc. Only Superman can boast the same symbolic value as Captain America in terms of his effect on his several heroes, but Cap trumps the Man of Steel by also being one of the best team leaders in comic book history and certainly the finest the Avengers have ever seen. To continue the DC shorthand, Captain America has the strategic genius and quick-thinking of Batman, but with Superman’s charm and winning personality. I don’t think anybody believes in the Avengers quite like Cap does—they gave him a reason to continue on in a world that had left him behind, after all—and nobody works as hard towards keeping them in fighting shape. A good ol’ fashioned “Avengers Assemble!” charge doesn’t give you nearly the chill if Steve Rogers isn’t racing at the fore.

HAWKEYE
So you’ve got gods, super-soldiers, billionaire geniuses and uber-powerful mutants making up the Avengers, and then you’ve got Clint Barton: the guy with the bow, the arrow and the attitude. That to me was always one of the coolest thing about the Avengers: that a dude like Hawkeye could stand shoulder-to-shoulder with the rest and not seem out of place in the least. He’s the guy who questioned whether Captain America was leadership material; the guy who managed to found an Avengers team in California. You can say there was already a precedent for an archer fitting in amongst the powerhouses with Green Arrow in the Justice League, but as much as I am a GA fan, it always seemed like he either was just another square-chinned cipher in the JLA’s fledgling days, and then later more the rabble-rousing square peg than anything else; Hawkeye would mouth off, sure, but at the end of the day he was integral to what the Avengers were all about and very much the heart of the team in a way his DC counterpart never quite was. Despite starting out as a questionable Iron Man villain, Hawkeye was a true blue good guy with a romantic streak who was made to be one of Earth’s Mightiest Heroes. I absolutely love when the rest of the team has been taken out and it’s Hawkeye who has to beat the odds and make the impossible shot against a rampaging She-Hulk or omnipotent Collector to win the day—and that’s why he’s my favorite Avenger.

Cookies for Farisah

40 pcs vanilla cookies.Thanks Zarina.....she always supports me.....

The Rape of Persephone

Throughout all of my travels while on study abroad, it was the statuary in the small and enchanting family owned Galleria Borghese in Rome that I remember most distinctly. More specifically it was the pieces done by the artist Bernini that truly left their mark.

Current mood elicits reminiscing on one of my favorite sculptures, Bernini's The Rape of Persephone... So... Let's blog it out.

Mythology dictates that Hades fell in Love with Demeter's ('earth mother' and goddess of the harvest) daughter Persephone and made a deal with Zeus that allowed him to capture Persephone as his wife and drag her down with him to the underworld.

From this angle, Cerberus, Hades' three headed dog, is visible and snarling. The statue depicts the abduction of Persephone as she is captured.

The myth goes on that Demeter searched in sadness for many months for her daughter Persephone. During this time the world laid waste as she neglected her godly duties. Zeus realizing that there would be no sacrifices without the harvest eventually tells Demeter of Persephone's fate.

In this more forward facing image, you can see how Bernini caught the struggle as Persephone tries to evade capture from Hades. Her arms are outstretched as she ineffectually tries to push Hades away. Cerberus is shown to be nipping at Persephone's feet.

When Demeter learns of what has befallen her daughter, she rushes to the underworld to reclaim her. Before she arrives however, Persephone is tricked into eating six pomegranate seeds (an ancient tradition dictates that one not eat at the place of capture). Persephone is allowed to leave with her mother, but because she had eaten the seeds she was forced to return to spend part of each year in the underworld with Hades. It is during this time of year that we experience the winter season as Demeter longs in sadness for her daughter. Each year Demeter resumes her work upon the return of her daughter. It is for this reason that Persephone is known as the goddess of spring.

It's hard to remember when you sense the soft rebound of Persephone's skin under Hades' grasp that this statue is carved in stone. This is one of the features that made this sculpture so memorable to me.

So... Those are my thoughts... and I suppose my mythology lesson... for the day. There were other statues at the Borghese that were equally breath-taking including Bernini's Appollo and Daphne, which coincidentally is pictured in the lower right corner of my blog header (I made the collage) and Bernini's David. Maybe another day I'll write more on those.

Until then, enjoy!

Scares on the Shelf

Twice the Terror is a second collection of material from The Horror Zine, Jeani Rector's Sacramento-based webzine of dark-themed fiction, art and poetry.

The previous print collection, And Now the Nightmare Begins, featured a range of contributors, from the newly-launched to the likes of Ramsey Campbell, Simon Clark, and Joe R Lansdale.

I have to come clean and say that I have a dog in this fight - volume two includes my short story Not Here, Not Now.

From the book's Amazon entry:

The Horror Zine presents its second in-print anthology, a wicked brew of stories with relentless suspense that ride side-by-side with haunting poetry and eye-popping artwork. Volume 2 from The Horror Zine unveils a fresh approach to basic fears and has twisted, unexpected endings. “Twice the Terror: THE HORROR ZINE” contains contributions from such famous writers such as Graham Masterton, Bentley Little, Joe R. Lansdale, Deborah LeBlanc, Ed Gorman, Stephen Gallagher, Terence Faherty, and Hugh Fox. But it also contains deliciously dark delights from morbidly creative people who have not yet made the big time… but they will soon.

Mainstream publishing falls in and out of love with dark fiction, whereas it seems to me that the core readership's appetite remains fairly steady. Kudos to The Horror Zine for giving a platform to new writing in a context of the genre's more recent traditions.

Here are a couple of random picks from the quality artwork on the site. This one's Mercy by Isiah Stephens:


While these strange dolls are the creations of Beth Robinson.