Dancing With My Baby in the Summer Rain

What a week. Heat is just dang unbearable. I hated that those frigging red ants swarmed into my small cotton bud canister. I didn’t know they were into that. Uggh. Weather’s making me wanna eat and drink more. Also, just walking outside even makes your legs sweat inside your pants, so it’s really annoying. Anyway, I got a bunch of other things to post about.

Pam’s Labyrinths

Watched Mozzie’s acoustic performance at The Room Upstairs in Makati last Friday night with Mark P. (who’s introducing me to alcohol), and Benedict (who read all his comics—about 20 of them--in one sitting). Ate some pasta, and drank a few beers with Mark. We were seated at the comfy red couch, with the matching throw pillows, a nice enough spot to watch from and read comics at.

Mozzie (pronounced mot-zee) started playing 9:30-ish. I was pleasantly surprised that Pam Pastor can sing--and rock!--and that the band’s music is something that easily appealed to me. I followed many female-led bands and solo Lilith Fair folk-rockers back in the last decade, so I’m quite familiar with the sound. The band’s musical style reminds me a bit of ‘Til Tuesday, mixed with a bit of Luscious Jackson. But Mozzie’s able to pull off a range of popular songs and still sound unique.

Their covers of songs by Texas, Moonpools and Caterpillars, Alanis Morissette, KT Tunstall, Rachael Yamagata, and Edie Brickell, among other artists, were really good. I’m just as amazed by their original songs, like “Bolgia Six” and “Starf*cker,” which are unusually profound, lyrically. Pam and her bandmates will be releasing their album independently in a few months, and I can’t wait to hear more of their originals.

So maybe, that’s about ten to twelve songs. I hope they do at least two Tagalog tracks (you can’t go wrong with ‘em!), and maybe one cover, something from their sets. Oh, while I’m suggesting stuff, here’s my request list for future gigs: Luscious Jackson’s “Space Diva,” Vienna Teng’s “Shasta,” ‘Til Tuesday’s “Coming Up Close,” A Camp's "Bluest Eyes in Texas," and Dar Williams’ “What Do You Hear in These Sounds.” I’m really curious how they’d interpret them.

After the show, Pam sat down with us and gossiped a bit. She’s just as open and funny as she was on stage, where her revealing anecdotes about petroleum jelly, hypocrites, feminism and exes show just how adept she is at communicating, and telling stories. “I’m not a lesbian, at least not on Fridays,” she amusingly declared in a spiel prior to starting a Yamagata song. Heehee.

To Pam and the band, more power! I’ll buy your CD when it’s out.

Russ Rush

Thank you to Nicole of Solar for the Shooter preview. Watched it with John last Tuesday, and while waiting to enter, we ran into old friend Russell Tomas. We know him from way back; he had us help illustrate for a project back in the ‘90s. We spent many summer days working at his old Antipolo place. He’s a fun, friendly guy who always thought forward, and it now looks like he didn’t age at all from the time we were hanging out with him. He just started a new social networking site, and shared something about doing another new internet-related endeavor.

Anyway (okay, LNA comment, right about… now), he said that he was “surprised” that Lexy, Nance & Argus was “really good,” and that he even “read it four times.” Hey, I had to insert some plugging into this entry somehow, since it's been a while. But I’m thankful for that kind, gushing review, heh. He did ask me what I was currently doing, and if I was still drawing; told him I still do, from time to time. Okay, there’s my cue to mention my art blog.

Nice fella, that Russell. Glad to know that he’s still the way we remember him.

Hills Have Eyesores

Well, the sequel’s still gross and repulsive, but it’s not as sickening as the first The Hills Have Eyes, mostly because you already know what to expect. Spoilers on!

Some soldiers-in-training get picked off one by one by a community of mutant cannibals hidden in some nuclear bomb test site. It’s pretty by-the-numbers; you just wait and guess how grisly each of the good-looking cast members buys the farm. But surprisingly, it gets damn funny by the end, when the uber-freak, who cornered three outmatched and beat-up rookie soldiers in his hideout, gets his just desserts. One character is almost strangled to death, but she retaliates by going for the monster guy’s wounded head and pulls brain matter out with her hand. My friend and I were laughing hard, partly because you can’t help but mock it (the excessive gore was just… er, too much), and also because at that point, those last few scenes were indeed visceral and cathartic.

Hero High

Some comic books I read in the past few weeks:

New Avengers # 29- It’s really hard to like the Mighty Avengers team, because they’re now grade-A jerks. But I liked this issue, especially the part where Dr. Strange’s sanctum was entered by Iron Man and his stormtroopers, and their confrontation with Iron Fist’s lawyer. Nicely done.

Avengers- The Initiative # 1- Yay, Slott! New characters, underused Avengers members, and obscure Marvel characters in one ongoing book. The hero recruitment and training isn’t as simple as the winning side of the Civil War thought. I’m kinda expecting SHIELD-trained, professional heroes to bungle up a mission and create another Stamford in one of the stories one day.

Justice League of America # 7- Nice talky issue, but I believe there’s an error in the sequence of pages. The Roy-Hal talk should’ve segued to the Ollie-Hal page (starting with the “He’ll kill you” caption), but the gatefold pages and the ones near that became quite confusing.

Buffy # 1- Season 8! I’m fine with how they ended the TV series, but since Joss Whedon wanted to continue the story officially, I’m so there. Old friends and foes return! It's also been announced that Brian Vaughan will be doing future arcs. Woohoo! If only this came out weekly…

World War 3- (The last four comics titles listed here lent by Mark P.) Hmm, it was weird that Martian Manhunter took his sweet time to recover from mental trauma. And sadly, his inner monologue-narration throughout the miniseries felt quite dull. The 52 spinoff just showed an extended view of Black Adam’s rampage, and it ended so suddenly and rather weakly.

Omega Men- I kinda like this, mostly because the characters had a fight scene in Manila, specifically the Quiapo area, if I'm not mistaken. Vril Dox briefly speaks Tagalog (but his words are bracketed, not really written in the vernacular). Too bad that's the most I can remember from it. I can’t remember the Omega Men’s names right now.

Uncle Sam and the Freedom Fighters- This was a surprise. Didn't really know what to expect from the Palmiotti-Gray collaboration, but it’s actually smart and it reminds me a little of some Civil War subplots, which is cool. The characters were quite memorable, especially the new Ray.

Birds of Prey- The latest issue was great, as usual. Scandal versus Kendra? It’s pretty obvious that the ear-eating lez is more savage, pun intended, but the outcome is no less surprising. Gail Simone… please don’t leave.

Warriors Spree

It would have been great if I posed Thor properly. He kinda looks drunk in this pic. “Verily! Thor doth not handle several flagons of mead that well.”

Former Infatuation Junkies

Spent last night chatting, eating and drinking with Mark Parlade. Met him before, two years ago, at the Pinoy DC meet at Katips along with some of the Comic Brookers. But we didn’t speak with each other then. Last year, he texted me and I didn’t recognize which Mark it was at first, as most of the comic book guys referred to him as “Ike.” Turns out that he’s a Friendster friend (heheh) and meets up with the Comic Brook people from time to time, but couldn’t relate to the VS card games, like me, so he invited me to hang out with him.

We brought more than 15 comics each and met up at a Greenbelt restaurant. The guy treated me to a big serving of pasta with diced chicken that I couldn’t finish, as well as drinks called mojitos and mojichee (rum with fruits and soda?), which I enjoyed. Mmmm… yeah, they’re yummy, and made me feel a little hot and tingly shortly. Benedict joked later that I got roofied, heheh.

I discovered that Mark’s a friend of some of my friends from the paper for quite some time already, as the firm he works for handles some entertainment-centric accounts. We talked about work, comics, relatives, music, the “My Humps” parody and so on; it was kinda weird but cool to discover that there are a bunch of things I have in common with him (we studied in related schools and knew certain people; we like Alanis’ second album; we agreed that the latest Titans issue resorted to a familiar cliffhanger again, etc.). But the guy is different in many ways, as he’s a very outgoing person, a family guy and dad to the adorable Snow Pop/Noah, among other things. And he wears lense-less eyeglasses that, he admitted, have always been a conversation piece.

We walked to Greenbelt 1, where he was parked, about three and a half hours later. At the restroom upstairs, I brushed my teeth and didn’t quickly notice that a colleague, Jojo Panaligan, who writes for another paper’s entertainment section, was standing nearby. He liked what I did with my hair (I colored it brown), and briefly told me about his plans for the future before leaving for somewhere else. Outside, Mark didn’t recognize him as he walked away, but he remembers contacting him once for some old event. Yep, this guy’s practically met everyone by now. Oh, he did mention inviting old friends Gerry and Whilce Portacio for an interview that aired in channel 7 way back when.

Well, he’s recommending that I go soon to Boracay, his “spiritual home,” where he recently spent the Holy Week holidays (and got harassed in different ways, haha). Told him that I will visit, some day, just to see and experience the place for myself. The self-confessed Mozzie groupie also wants to hang out one of these days to watch Pam Pastor’s band perform. As we pretty much have the same taste in music, I’m gonna have to check them out. Pam’s been inviting me to the gigs but I have yet to see them play (sorry, miz editor!), because my sched’s often conflicted with their show dates. But now that Mark got me curious, will have to find time to watch ‘em, now.

Swell Saturday. Thanks Mark! That was different. The Mojitos made me feel a little buzzed after, which is probably the thing that was missing from my recent work-free, self-imposed holidays. I want some more.

Non-Celebrity Skin

Last Thursday, I joined an overnight planning session with some of the paper’s staffers. There were seven of us who went to a health resort in Tagaytay, and we were joined briefly by another regular writer a few hours later. It was quite enlightening to talk to (and be around) one of the editors I submit my work to, Ma'am Emmie. The others were writers who have bylines every now and then, but they also work behind the scenes at the office. They were nice to hang out with, too, as they shared interesting tidbits about themselves, and of course, other people. It was good to have them together in one place like that.

I soon found out that most of them are health buffs. That was pretty evident from the food they ordered. I hope that their health-conscious ways rub off on me. They loved their veggies and their salad dressing. The other regular contributor who attended was Poch, who turned out to be much younger than I expected, and yes, he’s a vegetarian who closely monitored his blood pressure (he had his testing kit with him). I told him that I always thought of an old, bearded, skinny man when I see his name on his articles. He laughed when I told him that.

Anyway, after some serious discussions about the section’s concerns in the coming months—and the occasional gossip interjection—we got on with the real highlight of the day, which was the body massage. I’ve never had one before, so I didn’t know what to expect. So there I was, freshly bathed. I was told to lie face-down on the table by the lady assigned to me. I had my better-looking underwear on (I was shy, or maybe, modest?), but it didn’t really matter, I guess, ‘cause the masseuse wasn’t really saying anything about articles of clothing. She did tuck the towel under my waistband, when I was on my tummy. Felt a little uncomfortable as she slid the garter down a bit to do that. So I was screaming inside, “Noooo!!!! Stooooppp!!!” Don’t fugging touch my butt crack!”

I kid but, well, to be honest, I’d rather be nekkid on my say-so, and with someone I wanna be nekkid with. Wink. No offense, miss masseuse.

The lady was real professional and good at her job, though; she kneaded, jabbed, and karate-chopped through my flab and, er, muscles. It felt real good. She asked periodically if her new technique felt uncomfortable. I had to stop myself from chuckling when she did get to the more ticklish areas of my body, though. I was biting my lip, my hands clenched, as I tried hard not to laugh out loud. But the experience was good, nevertheless.

The next day, we had facials. Okay, that sounded porny. Whatever. We had different edible stuff on our faces, like honey, crushed almonds, cucumbers, the works. We got scalp massaged, too, which felt quite relaxing. The treatment went back to the face; this time the focus was on my brow. Later, my eyes and upper portion of the face were covered with pipino. I felt a little restless because I wanted to move my head and look around. One of those who brought cameras, Jaycee, took pictures of those covered with slices, of course. After some rubbing, scrubbing and wiping, we were finally free. I didn’t feel anything different, but our editor said that my face was as pink as a baby’s bottom. Poch added that I look like Dan Aykroyd. Heh.

After that, I was dropped off where I could catch a bus en route to the usual jeep terminal. Hello, fumes, dust and heat. The people had to get back to the office to start working on a new issue. Well, they really are on a tight schedule, and they do take their jobs seriously. I’m glad I was invited to be with them for the occasion. I had a great time. I hope to have a picture they took posted next time.

Now, I just need to buy a pore strip for my nose. I don’t think the facial was designed to remove them pesky blackheads and whiteheads, specifically. But that’s okay. I can stare at a removed pore strip for many minutes. It’s just fascinating.

Marching In

X as a Weapon

Mike Carey’s ongoing adjectiveless X-Men run has been exciting so far. I’m liking it, see, but I do have problems with Chris Bachalo’s art from time to time. I preferred his style back in the ‘90s, during his first year or so of Generation X. Now, I dunno, his figures seem to be extra-cartoony and the shapes of figures are hard to distinguish sometimes. So that really keeps me from enjoying and appreciating the story. He still does certain pinup shots well, though, as this particular panel shows:

Anyway, I love this lineup. Rogue’s the leader, and this strike force isn’t tasked with teaching at the Xavier Institute. It’s an interesting, diverse mix with Cable, Cannonball, Mystique, Iceman, Lady Mastermind, Karima Shapandar, and Sabretooth. I’m really not into the idea of having unrepentant villains coerced into service, as in the Thunderbolts post-Civil War, but somehow, Sabretooth as the team’s loose cannon feels more naturally done. Also, as many on it can be counted as reformed villains or have different backgrounds, it’s good to see that this team’s fighting approach is different from the other X-teams’.

I do hope that there’d be really memorable villains in the coming issues (the Children of the Vault and Pandemic characters were just okay), and that Carey’s promising team lasts for some time. May this tough X-group's adventures be bigger and illustrated better.

Zack Snyder!

Oh, here’s my article on filmmaker Zack Snyder, published last Saturday (thank you editors!). I did that phoner about a month back, shortly after watching 300 (thank you Warner publicists!). That interview went well. The guy sounded energetic from the start; instead of just saying “hello,” his first words were a loud “Zack Snyder!!!” So that was smooth from the get-go. He did a great job on Frank Miller’s work, and he’s now doing Alan Moore’s Watchmen, too, so let’s all cross our fingers.

300 opens today in the Philippines, I believe.

Like Toy Soldiers

Was able to get some of the Marvel Legends/X-Men/Spidey figures I’ve been fancying for quite some time. I hope I can still find a Mad Jack or Toxin figure though. Or a white costume repaint of Storm. But, yeah, am quite happy with what I have right now.

One thing I wasn’t too satisfied with, however, was the Iron Man-Mandarin Face-Off set. It took some time to get a decently painted one, because many were disappointingly, shoddily done. And, once I opened the one I bought, I was kinda dismayed to discover that Mandarin wasn’t poseable, since he’s wearing a thick rubber robe. Yargh.

Oh, and the comic book? Iron Fist. The same that came with the Iron Fist figure in early 2006. Yeek.

Life is Bigger

Revolution Earth

I saw parts of the city where I live and other places I know on Google Earth a few days ago. It’s exciting and quite scary, since it gives you a very specific perspective--the top view of many cities--and you can quickly zoom onto locales from the skies, just like in the movies and TV shows. It was so cool to see areas near our house that I don’t know about, and places near my old schools that I used to frequent.

It’s amazing how those neatly arranged and diversely colored rooftops shelter different lives and dreams. From above, the communities look so peaceful. It doesn’t really show people, as we’re dot-scaled and virtually unseen. But in actuality, we’re mere meters away from others, just separated by walls, gates and streets. It’s easy to get a sense of that when you’re looking at the wide shots. It’s interesting, too, that those patches look so unrelated, but we all know that that’s the farthest thing from the truth. Man, just imagine the intersecting stories all over those maps.

Google Earth is all kinds of awesome.

I Wanna Be Cremated

I attended a funeral last Sunday afternoon. As I wasn’t close to the departed, my time there was spent observing and sitting through the rites quietly. It did make me think about my own life and some things I want to do and accomplish while I’m still here, among other things.

I'd rather have my remains cremated and put into a jar. I’m also okay with my ashes getting scattered someplace pretty, or at a place with sentimental value, actually. I’ve always preferred that, I think, not because I don’t want my decaying body to become worm food--I’m probably beyond caring by then—but I feel now that I’d rather have what’s left of my physical shell near those who care about me. I’m okay with being remembered by loved ones without them having to trek to the cemetery. Cemeteries are just way depressing. The cost of cremation, I hear, is normally cheaper than the usual casket funeral, too, so I guess I’ll go for that, instead.

It’s a Boy-Boy Thing

Ain’t they sweet. Teen couple Hulkling and Wiccan, from Marvel’s Young Avengers comic book, posed and photographed by Benedict. Wiccan is Scarlet Witch and Vision’s miracle child, while Hulking is the hybrid son of the Kree warrior Captain Mar-Vell and a Skrull princess. Hey, by the way, I’m wondering: just how long will Young Avengers be on hiatus, and when will volume two come out? Come on, Marvel, make it happen.

Party Like It’s 2099

Marvel Legacy: The 1990s Handbook was a good read. It’s the latest from the people behind the new Marvel Universe Handbooks, a one-shot comic book featuring profiles of select characters from the era distinctly remembered for the shoulder pads, gritted teeth, toughie codenames and massive weaponry. Image Comics-inspired art and coloring were all the rage, and many Marvel characters and titles at the time embraced a darker, but not necessarily a more mature tone. Those included, however, aren’t necessarily Liefeld-inspired characters.

It’s an interesting list, although there are those creations that look dated now. Some of them have yet to reappear. There’s Vengeance, Nightwatch, Lady Punisher, Blackwulf, Maxam, X-Treme, X-Men 2099, and so on. Maybe creators who adored them back then will make them feel fresh and contemporary.

I was half-expecting to see entries of the armored Captain America, Daredevil and Spider-Man, the bikini-clad Invisible Woman, and the jacket-wearing Avengers and New Warriors members, but they weren’t depicted. Maybe the updated Handbooks will devote space to them, since Storm’s new entry showed all of her previous costumes.

I liked that the cover sported the coloring style that evoked simple Photoshop effects. It also has a masthead that intentionally looks slightly retro, and a particular company logo that was used later in the decade. Also, it was funny that they included a Coolometer at the inside-back cover. “Bankruptcy,” of course, was at the “Uncool” end.

I emailed the Handbook people recently, and suggested that they include or update some characters. I listed about twenty or so characters, and writer Stuart Vandal generously replied. He detailed that some of those I mentioned are slated for appearances in future issues (Agatha Harkness will have an updated one in the Magic 2007 Handbook), or have already appeared in certain themed Handbooks. He added that each of the other characters will eventually have his or her entry, as long as the series continues.

Follow the Day

It’s been a typically busy week so I’m relaxing by catching up on some shows, as usual.

Mars Attack

Season two of Veronica Mars wasn’t as consistently entertaining as the first, but it’s still smart and endearing. A few season-long mysteries get resolved satisfyingly. I was shocked when long-forgotten arcs from the first season resurfaced and tied well to the heart-wrenching season ender. Some important characters have been written off the show, so it pretty much re-sets some relationship angles. I hope Veronica’s friend, the problem-solving techie Mac (Tina Majorino), becomes a regular cast member in the next season. Wow, they’re in college in the show’s third year. I wonder how different Veronica’s cases will be, and how her detective skills will be honed this time.

Basta, Veronica and Duncan forever.

Musings on Lyrics

I was able to catch the hilarious VH-1 special 40 Most Awesomely Bad Love Songs last week over at MTV. It had a few comedians commenting on some of the lyrical content of old and recent love songs, most of which have become hits in the US. The countdown list was a mix of guilty pleasures and those that fall under the “so bad, they’re good” category of songs, and it was interesting to hear what the comics had to say about the meaning or packaging of certain sappy ones.

Pleasant-sounding ballads like Oleta Adams’ “Get Here” weren’t spared. The commenters singled out that the lines “you can reach me by caravan/ cross the desert like an Arab man,” saying that it’s “racial profiling” in a song, and that it went too far by suggesting that the guy Oleta pertained to should “windsurf into my life.” Also mocked was The Jets’ “You Got It All,” as it’s a song that, according to the commentary, kept comparing the current boyfriend with the ex, among other things. Steve Perry’s popular “Oh Sherrie” was included, and some comedians wondered why the singer was yelling his lyrics (“You should’ve been gone!”). Other songs that made it were by boy bands, hair bands, and some ‘80s and ‘90s pop chart fixtures.

Super Jock Itch

I gave up on this show long ago, but I just had to see the “Justice” episode of Smallville. Clark “Boy Scout” Kent and Chloe “Watchtower” Sullivan team up with righteous pals Green Arrow, Aquaman, Impulse and Cyborg. Quite campy but fun. They got the guest actors who previously appeared as the characters, so there’s a cleft chin overload. I dunno if a live-action Justice League series in the works (I doubt it), but it was nice to see some of DC’s superheroes gather for an episode, even if they have a clichéd scene where they’re shown walking away, calmly, from an exploding building. Gawd.

Lost in Your Isles

I’ve seen about eight episodes of the first season of Lost. I dunno. It’s okay, but It’s not that exciting yet for me. I like that it has neat twists when it comes to the many characters’ back stories, though. I’m familiar with Matthew Fox, who played Charlie Salinger from the depressing but watchable ‘90s drama Party of Five. There’s also Dominic Monaghan, of course, an ex-Hobbit sidekick, and the actress who played the blonde villain girl from Roswell, whose name escapes me at the moment. It’s a nicely cast group of castaways and all, but I do hope that the story speeds up. I hope the truth behind the mysteries gets revealed before I lose interest, and that there’s a rewarding payoff after all this buildup. Maybe I’m just getting really impatient, but so far, the building-society-from-scratch thing isn’t bowling me over.