Balls!

Steve Gerber, the co-creator of Howard The Duck (the brilliant comic, not the hideous movie), passed away yesterday.   Gerber's hands are all over some of Marvel's most interesting work in the 70s.  He made me love THE DEFENDERS.  No one's done that since.

His current project has been DOCTOR FATE for DC Comics.  

His last post on his own blog is dated February 4th in which he reports that he's up late working on Doctor Fate. 

Mr. Gerber died due to complications from a lung disease he has been fighting.  He was sixty years old. 

I'll miss you, Steve.

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net
 

Posted by Aron Head at 10:38 PM CST

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Roy Scheider died yesterday and I am sad.

Most folks think of JAWS when they think of Roy Scheider.  And while he had memorable turns in such films as THE FRENCH CONNECTION, THE MARATHON MAN, and ALL THAT JAZZ, two other films are the ones for which I will remember him.  They are  BLUE THUNDER and 2010.

In 1983, Blue Thunder was the coolest damned thing.  Laughable by today's standards, but back in the day it had some sweet helicopter dog fights.  A film about an armored military helicopter ostensibly tasked for urban assault in far away lands, but actually intended to be employed right here on American soil against law abiding citizens.  LAPD chopper pilot Frank Murphy, Scheider's character, is the conscience of the story.  He identifies what the government is up to and takes matters into his own hands.  Murphy is a flawed hero, still tormented by his tenure in Viet Nam.  He overcomes his limitations though... to do the right thing. 

In his role as Dr. Heywood Floyd in Peter Hyams' 2010: The Year We Make Contact, the vastly under rated sequel to Kubrik's 2001: A Space Odyssey, Scheider shined.  His Dr. Floyd is a thinking man's hero.  He questions.  He fears.  He is open to new ideas.  And he faces his fears, risking all to learn the truth.  I love this movie.  I actually prefer it to the high art of Kubrik's film.  I cherish it for the very accessible performance of Mr. Scheider.

I never get tired of watching either of these two movies.  That's a testament to Mr. Scheider.  It occurs to me that I do not own Blue Thunder on DVD.  Must remedy that oversight.

2010 is in my DVD player right now.

"I'll be scared enough for both of us."
- Dr. Heywood Floyd

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 9:06 PM CST

Updated: Monday, 11 February 2008 10:05 PM CST

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As a younger man, I found such films as Body Heat and Cat People to be profoundly titillating.  I mean, Nastassja Kinski?  Woof!  And Kathleen Turner (before her turn as a dude on Friends)?  Yowza!

But a fellow's tastes change through the years.  Sure, those movies are nice... but they're not... filling.

My new kink?

Nigella Lawson of the Food Network's Nigella Feasts.

Now there's a meal! 

Nigella's hot and saucy.  She's got that wonderfully rich british accent, she's easy on the eyes - and my oh my - she cooks, too.  Strangely enough for a Brit, she cooks good!

I sometimes dream of her saying directly into the camera as she prepares a meal: "I find the Pastrami to be the most sensual of all the salted cured meats..."

Drape me in velvet!  I'm in heaven!

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 5:58 PM CST

Updated: Sunday, 10 February 2008 6:01 PM CST

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I was over at Zeus Comics today buying $80 worth of trade paperbacks and paying only forty bucks.  Pretty sweet moving sale they're having.  Anyway, I got to chatting with store owner Richard Neal (who  likes Jim Starlin almost as much as I do)... If you'll recall, Zeus is moving up to Lemmon Avenue in March.  What then, one may ask, happens to the Zeus sponsored CAPE, the world's best Free Comic Book Day event?

It gets better, that's what!

Richard tells me he bought airline tickets today for Mark Waid (Kingdom Come writer, EIC Boom Studios) and Robert Kirkman (Walking Dead and Invincible writer).  Regulars such as Gail Simone (Wonder Woman writer) and David-Freakin-Mack (Daredevil artist) are on deck, too!  Mr. Neal tells me that it looks like Phil Hester will be in attendance as well, but that's not yet confirmed.

There's a whole lotta folks coming to CAPE this year and they keep adding names.  You can check out the ever growing roster over on Zeus' FCBD Day site.

CAPE is a three day event starting off with a live art show on Friday, the FCBD festival on Saturday, and Sunday brunch!  I've only ever attended the festival, loading up 25-cent comics and free comic book day swag.  This year, I'll be hitting the art show as well.  And since I like breakfast and lunch.  Maybe I'll do the brunch, too! 

Congratulations, Richard.  You continue to make the best comic event even better.  I've said it before.  I'll say it again.  Truly, you are the diggity-bomb.

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net
 

Posted by Aron Head at 5:03 PM CST

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ARON: Yeah... li'l bit... Y'know Starlin's working for DC now... I wonder what he thinks about that?

PAUL: Who knows...maybe he had a hand in it. I know he was
pretty pissed about the direction they (meaning Keith GIffen, also at DC, now!) took with Thanos after he left Marvel.

ARON: Really? I had not heard that he was ticked at Giffen. I knew he and Marvel did not split amicably.

PAUL: Well, he may not be ticked at Giffen directly. I just read that he disagreed with the direction taken with the character after he left. Keith Giffen was pretty much the Thanos guy after Starlin left, so it kind of pieces together. Of course, all this talk has me in the mood to pick up the Infinity books. I only have Gauntlet, and I've read War. I knew about War, but never read it. Of course, I didn't also realize there was an Infinity Abyss, and a Marvel Universe: The End, all written by Starlin.

ARON: I've not read those last two. Did you see that Adam Warlock is back? In the pages of Annihilation Conquest. High Evolutionary, too. I've always liked both of those characters. 

PAUL: I didn't see that he was back! Of course, I haven't followed him since Adam Warlock and the Infinity Watch. Is Pip still around?

ARON:  Not yet.  I haven't seen Pip since the last Infinity book I read.  I must admit to some annoyance that Ultron showed up in the book though. Seems like he's everywhere these days. Next, I expect Venom to show up...

PAUL: I'm not a big Ultron fan. He seems like a lame villain to me. 

ARON:  I liked Ultron back in his early Avengers days when he was all oedipal in his efforts to sex-up Janet VanDyne, the wife of his creator.  ...I'm sure that says something about me.

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net

Posted by Aron Head at 12:01 AM CST

Updated: Saturday, 9 February 2008 10:11 AM CST

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My buddy Paul, from Funny Books with Aron & Paulie, is on the road this weekend.  He has jaunted off to NYC for the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrator's Winter Conference on Writing and Illustrating for Children.  You see, Paul's written a novel - The Sibling's Scarington - that he's working to get published.

I'm halfway through the manuscript and - let me tell you - it's a great read.  Lots of horror, magic, and action.   I can't wait to see it on bookshelves!

This weekend, our Paulie's on a mission to find a publisher, but can he succeed while at the same time gripped in terror by the mad navigation of Crazy Jack?  Can he withstand the siren call of the mini-bar? And, you know, take in a broadway show?

You can read all about Paul's New York adventure over on his very own blog.  

You will believe a man can spend too much money for internet access!

Good luck, Paulie! 

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net

Posted by Aron Head at 9:54 PM CST

Updated: Friday, 8 February 2008 10:01 PM CST

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PAUL:
Hmmm... Secret War I think is the only thing I've been looking for lately. I've got so much reading to catch up on.

ARON:
I'll see if they have it. I'm gonna swing by soonish.

PAUL:
Ah... you mean today! I need to swing by my comicshop before my big NY adventure tomorrow.

ARON:
Soonish - in this instance - means more like this weekend or next week.

PAUL:
Ah... gotcha. See, soonish to me is like 10AM. I'm not beyond taking a lunch from work to hit the comic store.

ARON:
I'm missing one Walking Dead trade. I need it.

PAUL:
I hit Barnes and Noble for the most recent trade. I've got the entire run now, but I've only read the first 2... gotta catch up! 

Too many things to read, man. Too many comics, not enough time. I fell asleep reading the new JSA last night. That's not an indictment of JSA. Rather a testimony to how freakin' tired I was.

PAUL:
I feel your pain. I didn't even want to read anything with a story last night. I flipped through Previews instead.

ARON:
The half of JSA that I read was good... You know, I'd like some time to just sit and read... that's been hard to come by of late.

PAUL:
No kidding. Things have been fairly crazy with me, too. By the time I get a chance to read, I'm too tired to read very much.

ARON:
I work to afford comics, but work has me too busy to read comics. Viscious, viscious cycle.

PAUL:
No kidding. It's horrible.

ARON:
You know what's not horrible? Next week, the coolest comic mini-series ever comes out in trade paper back... Time Masters! Can't. Wait. 

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net

Posted by Aron Head at 7:20 AM CST

Updated: Thursday, 7 February 2008 8:38 PM CST

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Zeus Comics, the very best comic shop in the Dallas-Fort Worth area, is a-moving.  They move to the new location in March.  Until then, they've got a massive 50% off sale goin' on items such as trade paperbacks, back issues, and toys. 

Talking to the Zeuster himself today, Chris tells me he'd rather sell it at a discount than move it.  And I don't blame you, man.  Lifting longboxes full of graphic goodness is a pain - literally - in my back.

Looks like I have a list to make up.

Hey, are t-shirts on sale...?  Probably not.  Those are light...

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 8:02 PM CST

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A friend of mine clued me into this article at The Smoking Gun.  TSG reports on a  bill submitted by a trio of fat-hating legislators whose proposal would require that  restaurants refrain from serving the obese.  That's right, no food for you, tubby!

According to the National Institue of Health, more than 64 percent of Americans are overweight.  So I'm guessing that Mayhall, Read, and Shows don't plan to run for re-election?  I mean, how do you win an election after you've ticked off more than half the electorate?  

There are few people in this nation who would deny that we've got a weight problem.  Obesity leads to heart problems, elevated blood pressure, and diabetes.  With kids and adults fatter now than they have ever been, this is a critical public health issue. 

There are a number of reasons why we're fat... 

• Generational movement to more sedentary lifestyles;
• Overuse of cornsyup and other sweeteners;
• School districts cutting physical education programs;
  
• Schools selling soda and candy from vending machines;
• Prevalence of an "eating-out" culture; and 
• Food tastes great!

Several years ago, I gave a presentation at a dinner seminar comprised largely of school nurses.

"It is not lost on me," I said, "That I'm a fat guy giving a presentation on the subject of Childhood Obesity..."

That got a nice laugh as they ate their cheesecake topped with raspberry sauce.

I don't disagree that we've got a - pun intended - big problem.  It is shameful, though, that these elected politicians are wasting their time with legislation that will never pass and if it did would be found unconstitutional by any reasonable court.  It's irresponsible and a waste of taxpayer dollars that are better spent on - I don't know - PE classes and gym memberships.  The good people of Mississippi districts 40, 89, and 112 should immediately engage in recall efforts.

The answer to this problem of prodigious proportions (again, pun intended) does not involve mean behavior toward fat folks.  You cannot make a person be healthy, but you can create an environment in which a person can be healthy.

• Remove candy, soda, and all dessert like items from schools;
• Don't make gym memberships and exercise programs tax deductible - rather provide a tax rebate; and
  
• Provide tax incentives to companies that provide gym memberships and exercise programs to their employees.

The money spent on such programs would be made up in the decline in ER visits.   Prevention is always cheaper than treatment.

That's all I have to say.  We're on our way out for fried catfish and beer.

Aron Head
www.EvilBastard.net 

Posted by Aron Head at 6:35 PM CST

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