Thursday, April 30, 2009

A Musical Interlude

Please enjoy these geeky nuggets of musical joy while I attempt to create actual content.







And lastly, on a non-musical note, Adam West begs for cash:

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Remember the '90s?

BeaucoupKevin's retrospective on the 90's X-Men Cartoon reminded me of all the joy that came with being a fan of Marvel Comics in the 1990's.

DC fans got Tim Burton's gleefully artistic Batman, which was sweeping and bold. More importantly, DC fans were gifted with Dini and Timm's brilliant Batman: The Animated Series and the slightly less awesome but still delightful Superman cartoon. The 1990's gave us the definitive voice of Batman (apologies to Diedrich Bader, Michael Keaton, Christian Bale, et al, but man, c'mon) and a sense of whimsy, showing how wonderful, clever and interesting the DCU could be.

And what did Marvel comic book fans receive in terms of media adaptations?

Well, there was the Generation X movie . . .


I want to say something funny here but this hurt me in my soul.

The Avengers cartoon that didn't have Thor, Captain America or Iron Man in it . . .


. . . which actually wasn't the problem. If you watched an actual episode of the series, you'd know what I mean.

The Iron Man/Force Works cartoon that sadly did have Iron Man in it . . .


And I just now realized how hard it is for anybody to take an arch-enemy who shares his name with an orange seriously, no matter how powerful he may be.
Iron Man: "The Mandarin is my most powerful foe!"
Deadpool: "And let's not even talk about the implacable evil of the Anjou Pear!"


Oh, and who could ever forget the Captain America movie?


Answer: All of us who tried really, really hard, sometimes using a whole helluva lot of alcohol.

Yes, yes, I know - we also got the passable Spider-Man cartoon and unfortunate DC fans had to deal with Schumacher's Batman films. Still, I think it's an ironclad fact that DC got the lion's share of good adaptations in the '90's. Of course, all of these horrible things made the first Spider-Man movie into a jaw-dropping revelation for me, so I guess some good came out of it after all.

. . . you know what? I almost forgot the Punisher movie. Yes, it was in 1989. I don't care.

. . . so now that I think on it, suffering through all of that wasn't worth the first Spider-Man movie. Sorry. I think we gotta toss in at least Spider-Man 2 and X2 to make things square.

Thursday, April 23, 2009

A place-holder in which I plug other cool folks

So, Chris Sims has finished his magnum opus, The Chronicles of Solomon Stone. Well worth your time, assuming that you enjoy things that are totally sweet. Also, he even has a letters page up, wherein intelligent, handsome and clever people write to him. Ahem

Also, courtesy of Kevin Church, I find and present this amusing video of a charmingly disturbed young man named Tucker Stone reviewing comic books. It's no Haiku Reviews but it'll do to keep you from going into withdrawal while my writer's block keeps it's slimy grasp on my brainstem.



Mind you, all the tossing and crumpling of comics makes my inner 14-year-old "I need a bag and a backboard for this copy of Sleepwalker!" Nerd have a stroke.

Thursday, April 9, 2009

Calling All Superheroines

Time for a quick poll!

Given my recent popularity, vis a vis my slightly ranty discussion about how I felt Birds of Prey went a bit south of Helsinki, I've been mulling over what works and what doesn't when writing a superheroine in comics. So, in that light, I've got two questions for you . . .



Who are your favorite superheroines?



And, if you feel like expounding a bit, why?




I'll go first. In no particular order: Jessica Jones, She-Hulk, Emma Frost, Catwoman, Huntress, Black Widow, Black Canary, Wonder Woman, Fire, Ice, Molly Hayes, Power Girl, Oracle, The Question and the ladies of Gen13 (but particularly Caitlin Fairchild and Roxy Spaulding).



As a rule, I'm a fan of any superheroine who is complex, strong, interesting from a psychological perspective and perhaps overly fond of kicking ass. If they actively deconstruct and add a gray area to the very "superheroine" conceit, bonus points (hello Jessica Jones, Emma Frost, et al). I especially dig cerebral superheroines, particularly if their intelligence supersedes all the qualities listed above (I'm still waiting for someone other than Gail Simone and Adam Warren to dig into the diamond in the rough that is Caitlin Fairchild, for instance).



Anyways, contrasts, power and drive create interesting characters of any kind and the fictional women listed above don't lack for that. Well, save maybe Ice and Molly Hayes (in terms of contrasts), but it's nice to have at least two characters who are both genuinely sweet while remaining undoubtedly kick-ass.



Feel free to ask me to expand on my love of any of these characters or, if you like, to let me know why you just flat-out loathe them*. But seriously, let me know - which superheroines are your favorites?



*And yes, a post on why I think Emma Frost is incredibly interesting and why Scott and Emma's relationship tickles me is still coming along. Actually, I think I may expand my posts on her to a a first-ever Theme Week, if anyone would be interested.

The Unstoppable Solomon Stone

If you possess excellent taste like I do, I'm sure you already know that famed comics blogger Chris Sims has been kind enough to grace the world with The Chronicles of Solomon Stone, half-vampire skateboarding private eye. You may read previous text versions of Mr. Stone's rousing adventures here and here.



We here at The LookOut congratulate Mr. Sims on making his impressive dream a reality. I find his series inspirational, mostly as it gives me hope that one day, people will be ready for Kismet "Kizzy" O'Hara-Ohashi - my slightly crazed, maybe precognitive, happy-go-lucky thief who runs around the universe causing Dirty Pair-level chaos and changing lives in the year 2483. Not to use the impressive work of Mr. Sims to shamelessly plug my own upcoming comic book or anything*. That would be tasteless. *cough*

*Yes, I know that there's no way in hell I can top a half-vampire P.I. with wicked skateboard moves. Must you rub it in? Curse you Sims, for being so awesome!
*shakes fist*
SIMS!!!

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Bizarro Am Not Getting Movie?

Goodbye, everyone! Me there at TheSmellIn hear normal news! Bizarro may not or may be getting own movie!



Unrealistically, me realize that chances of a spec script in Hollywood making it to film stages am astronomically high, given the tragic nature of script and various showbiz trenches said script will not have to fall below. Still, the idea of tragic Bizarro doing sad things on the small screen makes The SmellIn sad and uninterested! Here's despairing for a Superman film that is tedium-packed yet serious and fills everyone with a sense of boredom!*



What you think, rough bloggers? Do not tell me anything in comments above! Hello!

*Unlike least recent film about Superman that stood strong under weight of Bryan Singer's silly, carefree direction, despite terrible performance by Kevin Spacey as Lex Luthor!

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Welcome to The LookOut, "YOUR NAME HERE" . . .


Aloha and bienvenidos to my humble blog about comics. I am your host, K. D. Bryan. I write, draw (badly) and blog in my spare time.

A quick primer for folks new to The LookOut (as all the cool kids call it*):

1.
I am a 31-year-old writer who writes when he is not earning a living through soul-deadening retail-related labor. I currently write fairly well-received short stories (found hither and yon) but I'm aspiring to write comics and the next Passable American Novel. I have something cooking in the very early stages with this talented gentleman, whose name is Shad Tischer. A hint of what's to come can be found more specifically here.

2.
I do semi-regular Haiku/Limerick Reviews of new comics. Most of them are favorable because if a book makes me unhappy, I just stop reading it. I'm a bad comic book fan, I know.

3. I have written a pretty well-liked list of 14 Comic Book Couples I Love, which has been unfinished for over a year now because I am a jerk. Luckily, since people have been asking what my "Scott and Jean" is, I will soon respond with "Scott and Emma" (although fellow comics blogger Kevin Church's answer of alcohol and more alcohol is also high on the list). This kooky list of my favorite comic book couples has generated the most Google hits for The LookOut - mostly relating to A) images of Spider-Man and Mary-Jane Watson-Parker, B) comics about people making love (I can only imagine - Illustrated Classics 11 - The Karma Sutra?), and C) Emma Frost naked.



. . . blogging can be a very fulfilling hobby. Just not when I check my search strings.


4.
I badly illustrate and write a webcomic based on my real life called K. D.'s Real Life. Yes, my creativity knows no bounds. If you would prefer to read biographical comics by a talented comic book artist instead, I recommend clicking here.

5.
Screechy fan entitlement drives me bonkers as a general rule but I get a lot of traffic whenever I dig down into my well of harsh criticism and drop the hammer down on titles or trends in the industry which greatly upset me. It is a conundrum, wrapped in a riddle, shipped in a enigma and stamped with a self-addressed mystery. In any case, I thank the always awesome ladies over at When Fangirls Attack and every other kind soul who's been nice enough to link here. You know who you are and I thank you.



6. My most consistent Google search engine term since the start of The LookOut has been "Emma Frost naked". Often, I hate the Internet. And yet, I continue to blog. So, clearly, I am full of self-loathing and confusion, which I mask with dry wit. Just like Emma Frost (or let's face it, Deadpool, given the level of my comedic stylings). Oh, the irony.

7. I am usually much more amusing and cheekily nerdtastic than this. Honest to Gosh. It's just been a long night full of writer's block, so I'm a tad cranky. If you feel like continuing to follow The LookOut, I shall prove to you why I should write comics or at the very least, entertain you with Bonus Video Content.



So, in short, The LookOut - Come for the incisive feminist critiques and comic book musings, stay for the Chimpanzee Riding on A Segway. Bam, bam-ba-ba-bam!


*Nobody actually calls it that. No matter how much I wish they would.

Friday, April 3, 2009

Look Out! Here Comes A- well, you know the rest

Good news from Blog@Newsarama!
Marvel.com is going to start showing episodes of the classic 1967 Spider-Man cartoon whose unforgettable theme song inspired the title of moi's blog. Needless to say, I'm just a tiny bit pleased to hear this news.



And you know, it's not just the famous theme song I love - it's the whole soundtrack. The slightly kitschy, insistent background soundtrack is a delight. I'm not only in this opinion, believe it or not. Check out the work of comic-book-loving, Dr. Doom-mask wearing rapper MF Doom, who tends to sample the music and dialogue from tons of 60's and 80's superhero cartoons in his work.


Not everybody's cuppa tea but I enjoy it.

None of which is to slight the always entertaining new Spider-Man cartoon, Spectacular Spider-Man. I'm always impressed by how seamlessly the writers have managed to meld so many different continuities, inserting characters from the Spider-Universe and in-jokes without it feeling shoehorned. Given that it's from the guy who brought us Gargoyles - a show with such cleverness and dark twists that I still can't believe was aired by Disney, of all people - I really don't know why I'm so surprised. Plus, while I obviously love the classics, I gotta say that new theme song's got serious moxie.
(Mind you, no recent cartoon theme song can compare to Puffy AmiYumi and Guitar Wolf's Teen Titans theme song, but hell, no other recent cartoon serious has Guitar Wolf on it. I mean, c'mon guys - Guitar Wolf!)

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

IS EL LEAPFROGGAHZ GONNA HAVE TO SQUISH A SPIDER?

Please not the date of this post. On April Fool's Day this year, this blog became "Leap-Frog Overdrive! Hella-Cool Angry Costumed Badassss!". As it turns out, only one other person found the joke funny, so I leave these posts up as a warning for myself to plan out April Fool's Day jokes better. Enjoy?

WE KNOW WHAT YOUR PLAYA-HATIN' ASS DID LAST SUMMER, SPIDER-PUNK.



WE KNOW YOU HATIN' ON LEAPFROGGAHZ CAUSE WE SO MUCH MORE POPULAR THAN YOU. YOU JUST CAN'T STAND HOW WE GOT ALL THE FINE SUPERMODEL/SOAP ACTRESSES HOT FOR OUR SPRING POWERED FLIPPERS WITH CHROME RIMS. YOU COULDN'T JUST BE LIKE EMODEVIL AND FOLLOW US AROUND, TRYING TO PICK UP ON ALL THE FLY HONEYS CRUSING OUR LILY PAD. NO, YOU GOTTA WEB US FROM BEHIND LIKE A LITTLE SPIDER-PUNK! THAT AGGRESSION CANNOT STAND, SPIDER-MAN!

AND DON'T EVEN PLAY LIKE IT AIN'T YOU! WE KNOW IT WASN'T VENOM OR CARNAGE OR THAT SPIDER-MAN ON DARK AVENGERS OR NONE OF THAT, SO DON'T EVEN TRY PLAYING US WHEN THE LEAPFROGGAHZ COME FOR YOU, IN THE DEAD OF NIGHT, AT THE SCENE OF THE CRIME. AND DON'T YOU EVER, EVER SAY IT WAS BEN REILLY! THAT GUY WAS HELLA TIGHT AND HIS HOODIE WAS STUPID FLY. RIP, BRI-DOG. STILL, DON'T THINK YOU GETTING OUT OF THIS ONE CAUSE WE LIKED YO CLONE.

WE COMIN' DOWN THE STAIRS IN PAIRS AT YOU SON, LIKE BANANAS IN MOTHER*&%@ING PAJAMAS. SPIDER SENSE THIS!



YOU HEAR THAT, SPIDER-PUNK? THAT'S THE LEAPFROGGAHZ PAIN TRAIN COMING INTO THE STATION! MEAN EUGENE AND BIG POPPA VIN ARE GONNA OPEN UP A BRAND NEW DAY OF HURT ON YOUR SPIDER-ASS!

AND THAT'S REAL.

CROAK OUT, TADPOLES!

EL LEAP-FROGGAH PLAYS BY HIS OWN RULES

Please not the date of this post. On April Fool's Day this year, this blog became "Leap-Frog Overdrive! Hella-Cool Angry Costumed Badassss!". As it turns out, only one other person found the joke funny, so I leave these posts up as a warning for myself to plan out April Fool's Day jokes better. Enjoy?



DAREDEVIL YOU EMO ASS LAWYER WHINER PUNK!

YOU KNOW LEAP-FROGGAH AIN'T JUST GONNA WAIT AROUND FOR YOUR LAME ASS! WHAT YOU GOT SIX OTHER GIRLFRIENDS TO BURY OR SOMETHING? GET YOUR ASS IN GEAR, SON! JUST FOLLOW MY BOY'S LEAD AND BE THANKFUL HE EVEN LETTING YOU TAG ALONG! YOU KNOW HE ONLY TALKING TO YOU BECAUSE FOGGY'S PRETTY AIGHT - FOGGY GOT HIS BACK WHEN HE HAD TO SHOOT DOWN KINGPIN IN COLD BLOOD! AND WHERE WAS YOU, MURDOCK? ENGAGED IN A DEEP, THOUGHTFUL INNER MONOLOGUE WHILE GETTING YOUR ASS KICKED BY ZOMBIE NINJAS OR SOME SHIT? CHECK YOURSELF BEFORE YOU WRECK YOURSELF, FOOL!

LEARN FROM THE GREEN MACHINE!