Like a Housewife Scorned

Desperate Housewives has been hit-and-miss with its second season, and some have even accused the show of shark-jumping, or that it’s performing forced stunts in a bid to recapture its former glory. But regardless if it has succeeded in keeping viewers riveted or not, the individual stories of the women characters have always been based on different levels of stranger-than-fiction drama, and relatable, er, desperation.

It’s still good, and throughout the second season, everything that’s happened to the characters proceeded rather speedily. Four or five separate arcs are concurrently running, but it’s good that they didn’t dwell too much on specific topics (like Bree’s alcoholism, Susan’s discovery of her real father, etc.). There have been many changes, but in the last two episodes (21 and 22), things have been turned upside down; enmities have escalated; nothing is as it was.

It’s good to see that a plot point regarding Tom's secret, which was mentioned and forgotten some time last season, is now being addressed. Also, Felicia’s vendetta against Paul expectedly worsens. And Andrew’s climactic standoff with Bree… well, that was damn fantastic, and heartbreaking.

It’s sad that some fears get validated, that some characters now seem irreparably irredeemable. But that’s the magic of TV; they build ‘em up, just to break ‘em down. And it’ll be status quo again, or something close to it, once the new season starts.

There are only two episodes left of season two, and I expect more shakeups to come.

Magneto + Prof. X = Onslaught!

The new Marvel Legends set is finely sculpted. Dreadfully dull characters, like Green Goblin (who’s now a masterminding but boring super-fiend in the comics), and Blackheart (the comic book that came with the figure attests to that) make okay action figures. I especially like the bonus Onslaught figure, which is only about ten inches tall (only slightly taller than Sasquatch), but he’s wide and has great hand poseability. His fingers look like crab legs.

My gripes with the set? (1) Lady Deathstrike’s hands only have knuckle articulation instead of individual, poseable talons. (2) Pyro doesn’t have a fire creature accessory with him. (3) There are no VS cards included. Apparently, the ones I saw in a specialty shop are super-special, special editions. (4) The variant figures look boring, and (5) Each figure costs P20 more now!

But again, they look mighty rad and imposing. I hope to get their picture taken with the other villains soon. That’s seven new kickass baddies to be added in the group shot.

Raising Hellions

Since Mr. Macapobre asked, here’s a short list of DC and Marvel superheroes, and some villains, who have children. I’m sure it’s far from complete, but these are the ones I can remember off the bat. Very few of these offspring were raised properly, if at all, by their superhero parents, who still actively risk their lives.

Professor X + Danielle Haller = David Haller (Legion)

Cyclops + Madelyne Pryor = Nathan Summers (Cable)

Mr. Fantastic + Invisible Woman = Franklin and Valeria Richards

Spider-Man + Mary Jane Parker = May Parker

Batman + Talia Al Ghul = they have a son, hidden away

Wolverine + tribeswoman (can’t remember her name) = baby mutant

Vision + Scarlet Witch = Tommy and Billy Maximoff

Captain Mar-Vell + Elysius = Genis-Vell and Phyla-Vell

Captain Mar-Vell + a Skrull princess = Hulkling

Green Arrow + some lady = Connor Hawke (Green Arrow II)

Mantis + Cotati Swordsman = “Q” the Celestial Messiah

Plastic Man + a blonde civilian = boy meta that shapeshifts

Vril Dox + Stealth = Lyrl Dox

Aquaman + Queen Mera = a son

Antman (Scott Lang) + his non-powered wife = Stature

Ultra Boy + Apparition = some super-baby

Arsenal + Cheshire = Lian Harper

Colossus + Nereel (I think) = Peter Jr.

Quicksilver + Crystal = Luna Maximoff

Luke Cage + Jessica Jones (Jewel) = baby daughter

Romantic relationships are a different matter; that’d be a long, long list. It’d be like listing down the characters of Melrose Place, and the people they slept with. Well, heroes have sex lives too. But no, their intimacies and dalliances make way, way more sense than that of MP’s bed-hoppers. Speaking of sexually active heroes…

Pageturning

Spoilers ahead, fellow geeks:

The latest She-Hulk issue is, no hyperbole, shocking. The two-issue arc has Jennifer Walters/She-Hulk defending Eros, a.k.a. Starfox, against accusations that he used his psionic pleasure-center powers to seduce a housewife.

I always thought that Starfox was underused; I’ve only seen him written nicely but briefly by Roger Stern, Peter David, and Jim Starlin. And he and She-Hulk had a one-night stand many years ago, so that just made him automatically cool for me.

Writer Dan Slott explores a side of Eros’ powers we haven't seen or fully understood before. Apparently, the power’s effects include behavior-altering sexual attraction to Eros that can last for years (poor jailed Hydra agent!), or just during the course of a night, it seems, in the case of the housewife. It makes anyone think irrationally, and give in to their impulses. It’s like a “date rape drug”, according to one of the super-law firm’s employees.

This, of course, leads back to the two erstwhile Avengers’ sexual history. Did Eros use his powers on She-Hulk? How far can it influence people? Can he turn it off, or does it tug at those with a prior attraction to him? Has he shown remorse over his past actions? Some of these questions are answered, forcing a fuming-mad She-Hulk to confront Eros in a way he’ll never forget. Wow, I’ll never look at that Avengers issue where they did it off-panel, and Starfox, the same way again.

Holy Crap

It’s good that the MTRCB showed some balls and let The Da Vinci Code be shown here tomorrow as an R-18-rated movie despite vocal protests from certain groups of people. I haven’t read the best-selling book, and to be honest, I’m not excited to see the movie, but I’ll catch it as soon as I can. Critics at Cannes aren’t too fond of it, reportedly.

Expect non-SM theaters to be packed. Oh well. I hope Glorietta and Robinson’s have multiple theaters devoted to screening it simultaneously. There’s nothing like controversy to pique the curiosity of those who want to see what the fuss is about, indeed. All these debates have assured that it’ll be a moneymaker in the next few weeks. Much has been said about the book and the film, which detractors claim, besmirches the good name of the religion’s messiah figure.

It’s tiring to read rants about not allowing it to be seen, actually, and the supposed damage it can and will do to the faithful. I’ve no interest in joining that fray; whether Jesus is less divine or not because he had sex and fathered children, I don’t care. I have trouble believing in the existence of the person in the first place, so I can’t claim to know what the guy did behind closed doors. That’s none of my business.

What I’m concerned about is the Pope’s recent smug comments about gay marriages and unions. “Only the rock of total and irrevocable love between a man and a woman is capable of being the foundation of building a society that becomes a home for all mankind,” he said last week. “It has become urgent to avoid confusion between (marriage) and other types of union which are based on love that is weak.” (reuters.com, May 11)

So okay, there you go. It’s a strange, strange thing, when people go bonkers over a fictional book and a fictional movie that question the origins of their faith, and they stay mum when their current-day leader declares further intolerance against people they should be building bridges with. Not only has that attack stressed that countless, working gay relationships are weak or invalid, it also reaffirms that there’s no real progress that the GLBT communities the world over can expect from the Catholic Church anymore. After John Paul II’s adamant stance against homosexuality when he was still alive, well, it was only a matter of time before his successor followed suit. It’s not that surprising, but it’s still despicable and awful.

The fact that he wanted gay seminarians weeded out last year has been an obvious dreaded sign. That still puzzles me, how they were able to conclusively confirm that certain young people who wish to serve as priests were truly and undeniably gay. The idea that one’s sexuality is evil, or that it can be turned off or be “cured”, that’s just really stupid. But the sad truth is, many people still believe those things. To be devalued by someone this powerful is dehumanizing. Someone who should be encouraging understanding and love between fellow human beings is doing a damn good job at alienating and inspiring rigid thinking.

If Jesus was indeed real, I’d like to think that he hung out with the subversives, as he himself was one, according to that religion’s holy book. I’d imagine that he’d value those whose relationships were genuine, regardless of who they were and what their genders were. I’d like to think that he’d be standing by the outcasts, and telling them that they’re special, and the establishment is just made up of dinosaurs that survived the great flood.

I obviously don’t capitalize my pronouns, “he” or “his”, when pertaining to the man, because, again, I just don’t believe. But I can acknowledge that the religion espouses selflessness and openness to others. It’s just sickening that the person's wonderful, soothing messages of love and redemption can be so misinterpreted and ignored in this day and age by some people who purport to follow him and his teachings, and consider themselves faithful.

Wetness Protection

The past two days’ rampaging typhoon has officially and abruptly put an end to the summer season, or so we’re told. The weather’s been crazy that way here; non-stop heavy torrents are sandwiched between unforgiving, scorching, summer-like days even during the supposed rainy season. You can never get used to these overnight weather switches.

It was so wet and windy yesterday that I postponed hanging out with a friend and just stayed indoors. Slept through most of the six-hour-plus brownout and just dreamed of snuggling and other stuff I love doing during rainy days. Haven’t been wearing underwear again because they’re all frigging wet. Oh well. At least I don’t feel constricted. Yeah, I feel free under my shorts.

Just watched the nice Firefly pilot episode last night, after sketching. Also surfed, listened to music and peeked at other people’s bloggies. I felt really hungry after midnight, but I didn’t feel like spending for a food delivery. And very few of them are open 24 hours. I’ve been eating decent meals but for some reason, there have been a number of instances in the past week when I felt really hungry late at night. I couldn't find anything, so I snacked on some chocolate-flavored Stick-O’s; they’re crunchy and hollow cylinder biscuit thingies, for those who don’t know. Feeling a little full, I sifted through a stack of old books and comics to keep awake.

I discovered one of the Penumbra books that Benedict recommended and left in my things god knows when. That’s David H’s Takod novella, a fun and very visual horror story that has a sneaky, Gold’s Gym member-Asiaweek reporter for a protagonist. Heheh. He pulls it off, of course. Dave knows how to play with mood and mystery, and while Takod was a mite shorter than I expected, the Asian mythological elements he explored conveniently furnished the story its unsettling creep factor. Hope this gets a sequel.

Anyway, will enjoy the cool weather while it lasts. Hope it continues in the next couple of days, minus the calamity.

Mutant Madness

I've been invited to the preview of X-Men 3: The Last Stand later this week, a couple of days before the regular screening. Got this pic from superherohype. Madrox, Callisto, Arclight and Pyro are some of Magneto's Brotherhood recruits.

I wish Fox had given bigger photos of the awesome villain core group pic to the websites. It had these four, plus Juggernaut, Kid Omega, Magneto and the resurrected Jean Grey, lined up together in one shot. But the neat pic above, and the rest of the new stills are shot at a nice distance and look clear enough. Some of them show Storm fighting Callisto, and Pyro versus Iceman, among other scenes. Hope the movie's good. Fingers crossed. Or X'ed.

Good Mother

There were only three cakes displayed at one of the nearby mall’s bakeshops in the afternoon. They're normally decked with a number of fanciful ones, but only the plain-looking chocolate-frosted cakes are left. Maybe because it’s Mother’s Day. I didn’t ask; was just craving for cake. We don’t celebrate it at our home, but the sibs and I certainly acknowledge our mom's unceasing dedication and attention. It wasn't an easy job for her; no, not at all. As I was growing up, I began noticing and learning that being a parent required tremendous strength to unfailingly support his or her oft-problematic children, to get them through the endless rigors that life constantly creates for them.

When I first watched Desperate Housewives, I instantly likened her to Lynette (Felicity Huffman), who had to rein in her little hellions as often as she could. I can only imagine how that feels, to raise radically disparate offspring, to bear with and tolerate trying temperaments. Throughout the years, she’s stood by us when life got awfully tough, and it was easy to talk to her whenever things felt hopeless or bleak. I really regret whenever we have arguments and disagreements. I hate that it still happens, sometimes.

I’d like to think that I‘ve always moved independently into my own direction, as have the other siblings, but there will always be matters and moments that draw us back to her advice and her caring voice. Like most mothers, she only wants what’s best for her kids, and she still continues to prove herself daily. She’s the most unselfish person I know, and I feel truly, truly fortunate to be her son.

Weatherwise

“I could go crazy on a night like tonight, when summer’s beginning to give up the fight.”
Indigo Girls, “Mystery”

“The beauty of the rain is how it falls.”
Dar Williams, “The Beauty of the Rain”

“Let the rain fall. Make it breathe.”
Hard Rain, “I Will Remember”

“Nothing falls like London rain. Nothing heals me like you do.”
Heather Nova, “London Rain”

“Sheets stained, blankets dampened by the rain, shades of gray on my pillow, while the sun tries to shine its beams of yellow.”
Violent Playground, “Moist”

“Wash away my sorrow, take away my pain, you’re love’s coming down like rain.”
Madonna, “Rain”

“The rain, see it falling, but I don't know how long it will be until the storm's over. But I'll wait. I will.”
A-Ha, “Rolling Thunder”

"When love gets strong, people get weak. Sometimes they lose control and wind up in too deep. They fall like rain.”
Cyndi Lauper, “Who Let in the Rain?”

Magic Markerless

Haven't done this in a while. Was so bored yesterday that I just doodled using the mouse and the Paint program. But drawing these sketchy thangs wuz fun. Elenna is my character; the others are copyright and trademark, their respective owners. Click them for larger images.

Elenna

Morpheus

Hulk

Felicity Unleashed

M:I III was a movie that I wasn’t particularly interested in watching. The first two installments were pretty bleh for me; the stories were too convoluted to understand or care about. But when I saw a picture of Keri Russell holding a gun this afternoon, I just had to see it. I wanted to see how the young woman who played mild-mannered art student Felicity for a couple of years fared as a superspy. It was in Felicity where I first saw Jennifer Garner as, if I remember correctly, a nerdy music major who hooked up with Noel (Scott Foley), years before she took on the Sidney Bristow role. So I was quite excited to see Keri transformed into another independent J.J. Abrams heroine, and I liked what I saw. She was grimy and a little bloody, and was totally tough. If only her character did more stuff and had more screen time. Nevertheless, M:I III is quite fun; the two prior movies never felt that way at all for me. It kind of feels like three episodes of 24 compressed into one, with more big-budgeted stunts and effects, but minus the ubercool Jack Bauer. Ethan Hunt is actually a human person in this one, as opposed to the mechanical, unstoppable spy-slash-killing machine of the past M:I’s. And it’s good that they finally showed the technology that makes those impossibly real masks that have been pivotal to difficult undercover missions.

Just some gripes: the villain played by Philip Seymour Hoffman was disposed of lamely and the action scenes were a bit tame and were lacking in artsiness. But again, the movie’s more decidedly feelgood and escapist than usual, and many details ultimately don’t matter.

Summer Freeze

Tried out a parfait, which is three scoops of ice cream with nuts, whipped cream and strawberry bits. It was yummy, but I felt empty afterwards, like I just wanted my dry mouth to feel the coldness. Ate an underwhelming chicken meal, also at the food court. It wasn’t too filling, and the breaded chicken lacked flavor. Urgh.

I finally bought new underwear, a discounted pack of three tighty-whiteys. Actually, only one is white; the other two are black and gray. Had to buy new ones ‘cause I couldn’t find my old, bacon-gartered ones. Maybe the people here thought they were rags because they don’t look wearable anymore, so they threw them away. But they’re my comfiest undies, and I don’t feel like wearing my nicer-looking ones at home. So I just go commando when the few pairs are still hanging in the clothesline. Too much info, I know. Yeek.

Just rested and switched outta drone-whore mode these past few days. Things are piling up again, but I’m not worried. The weather just doesn’t feel too cooperative and I don’t feel like straining myself for things I can do easily when I’m focused again. I’ll get things done when I find enough time and concentration for myself and my to-do list. So I’m still not totally here in that sense.

It’s a time when ideas flow and surge unhampered by daily rote, when time seems to stretch forever and I don’t feel like rushing to go home or start planning regular stuff. I’ve also been re-assessing my life and my jobs. I always do that anyway, but it’s a more conscious effort this time. Between that and thinking about what to do for the rest of the week, I just tried to catch some rest on my warm bed, and just shoved away thoughts of people I need to contact, and things that have been given a deadline.

I've been thinking of swirly colors and painting, of creating a new art portfolio, of pushing through with another comic book that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time, but had to stay on hold because of current opportunities I had to take. I’ll get to them one day. Yesterday and today, my head just wandered and thought about interlocking story and art pieces that I need to get out in the real world, someday. People must have noticed that I just stare blankly sometimes, and there are times that I just don’t feel like a social creature at all because, well, it’s either I’m planning, or worrying about something. It depends, I guess. I’m probably sorting out and organizing my head, or searching for info that my brain dumped way back. Been looking at my stuff and I’m trying to reconnect with old feelings and mindsets. I know that doesn’t make sense. Or does it? But that’s the way it is, and that’s how I see it.

I’m on Pause right now. Be back soon.

Male pattern baldness and stuff. Pic from last Saturday. Sketching superheroes on Benedict’s notebook.

Buying the Drama

Ahh, nothing like shampoo to get rid of that icky feeling you get after having what’s left of your hair trimmed and groomed with possibly germ-y scissors and a comb that previously touched god-knows-who in the barber shop.

Just some random thoughts: I wanna go somewhere cool for a few days. I need money. I hope I get paid soon for articles I contributed to magazines. I wanna lose weight. I wanna eat pizza... any flavor with thick cheese. We need cooler weather. Blecch.

I think it’s Free Comic Book Day this Saturday, but I’m not sure. Have to ask the shops if they’re giving away stuff. It’s the coolest time to read superhero books, with Infinite Crisis just finished and Civil War just starting. It’s also a great time to be collecting toys; they don’t have the Marvel Legends-Onslaught set yet at the malls but one specialty shop was selling one with variants already. The figures have Versus cards too (so that’s good news for you, Ruel DJ, heheh). It won’t be long ‘til they hit the regular venues, I suppose. And crap, I just remembered, the Wal-Mart series is out in the US already. Sigh. I want that.

Back to regular programming. Some fun reads. Spoiler Warning On!

Marvel Zombies- The arc started in Ultimate Fantastic Four and spun off into its own mini-series. I felt exhausted after reading this, because I didn’t know what to expect and it was so uniquely over the top. An alternate Marvel Universe is overrun by former superheroes who’ve become hungry, flesh-eating zombies. It’s funny in parts, and just plain disturbing in others. But if you’re familiar with, and entertained by Robert Kirkman and his Image title Walking Dead, you’ll probably like this. A sequel is reportedly in the works.

Infinite Crisis # 7- I waited for this and Civil War to arrive this afternoon. Started reading this in the jeep while en route to another mall, and finished it there. Will enumerate comments:

1. The double-page spread (pages 2 and 3) would’ve looked better if, instead of going for a blurred monochromatic scheme in the background, they showed some more colored figures. The details kind of got lost, and it would’ve been great to identify the smaller characters. And Giganta versus Elastigirl would’ve looked much better.

2. Noooo!!! SB-Prime killed Major Disaster! Dammit!

3. Zauriel gets burned! But, I'm sure his physical body'll heal or be replaced. He’s one of my favorite Morrison-era characters.

4. The cavalry finally arrived to save Metropolis from the Society, a battle which was just a tad short for me.

5. Good to see the Green Lantern Corps in action, and in full force.

6. Flash, and “Flash Phobia”. Now that’s interesting. Torture in the Speed Force?

7. The possibility of another sequel in a few decades is presented, which is good, and kinda sad.

8. It’s an action-packed issue. It's nothing we haven’t seen done before in other senses-shattering super-epics, but the final issue is still good.

Civil War # 1- This feels thinner than its 33 story pages because it’s been previewed in a zillion places in the past two months. Millar is good here. You just know he’s button-pushing in certain parts, but it works and it's easy not to mind, this time. The New Warriors get disassembled, accidentally causing a terrible body count that prompts the US government to keep the masked heroes in line. A proposed Superhero registration act divides the Marvel superhero population, and the forming of sides has begun. Damn, Captain America kicks ass; he's shown as the upholder of liberty, a warrior who’s not afraid of giving SHIELD a beatdown. You get a sense of majesty with him here, and he'll no doubt shine again throughout the series. If only he were this commanding in the New Avengers series…

New Avengers Annual # 1- Now this is more like it! Bendis finally writes an action-packed Avengers story that actually shows them as a kickass super-team. It’s self-contained too, and has art by Olivier Coipel, so it’s different. Loved the attack of the Iron Men! Oh, and Luke and Jessica’s wedding is welcomely compressed and to-the-point. My only gripe with the art was with the wedding pages; the place where the ceremony took place looks devoid of detail and a little rushed. But the rest of it is well-drawn, though.

Astonishing X-Men # 14- Good buildup issue. The Hellfire Club is dividing and conquering the Astonishing team, it seems. Emma majorly messes with Scott’s head, and Cassandra makes her presence known. The future destroyer of Ord’s world has been singled out too, but we’ve yet to see which X-Man it is. My guess? Kitty Pryde. Joss Whedon has often made the unlikeliest characters dangerous and complex in his TV shows. There’s nothing to implicate anyone at this point, but I want it to be Kitty! Argh--I miss Buffy!

I Miss Buffy!

Where are those spinoff shows or TV-movie specials? I don’t feel like watching David Boreanaz in Bones. I want him and Ms. Gellar in a film that, like Serenity, continues their mythology and revives the property. It can work! Put in the surviving characters of both shows in small but crucial spots. Whedon’s proven time and again that he can do wonders with large casts, like with the Firefly team in the movie. And there are a lot of story possibilities that can make the crossover-movie work.

My favorite Buffy seasons, they’re a tie between the second (Angelus big bad), fourth (Adam and the Initiative), and seventh (the Potentials army was exciting). I like the other seasons almost equally. With Angel, I like season five the best, then season two, four, one and three. I hope the TV shows aren’t the last we’ve seen of the shared magical universe that Whedon, his co-writers, cast and crew members were able to bring vividly to life. They were really unique, and are now sorely missed.

Giddy, Yup!

Wow. Watched Zsazsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal last Sunday. It’s the last staging for the summer. It’ll be back in June for a limited run at the CCP as a more “interactive” version (will they pull audience members to sing or dance along, I wonder?). It was great to see Carl V’s work translate well to this colorful and energetic medium.

We sat a decent distance; the isometric view of the stage and the performers wasn’t bad. I wish I bought the souvenir program because I can’t remember some of the other actors’ names (am a cheapskate sometimes, I know). I especially liked the performances of Eula Valdez, Kalila Aguilos, and Joey Paras, who played Didi. He was real funny, and some of his ad libbed lines really cracked us up. I like how the fight scenes were conducted too, as they were cleverly staged with just a few fancy props and ably choreographed footwork.

Huwag Po!

Benedict is regretting that he didn’t zoom out the lens, while Kalila Aguilos (who was super awesome as Queen Femina!) had her bent left leg posed over my body. Sayang! It was so cool of her and the other cast members to pose with fans after the show.

Babaeng Badaf

Eula Valdez was a surprise. Did she start with Bagets over twenty years ago? Oh my god, she was electrifying as the female superheroine alter-ego of the parlorista Ada. I didn’t know she could sing. She was shapely, too; she wore a body stocking from the belly down, but it fit snugly around her t-backed posterior and kinda cast the illusion that it was bare. Anyway, I look asleep in this shot. Unholy pope Benedict is smiling.

Attack of the Amazonistas

Wilma Doesnt and Deeda Barretto were half of the quartet of the Queen’s henchwomen. I really enjoyed their song-dance-and-drama clashes with Zsazsa.

And the Geeks Shall Inherit the Earth

Jolography author Paolo Manalo, Penumbra books author David Hontiveros, and moi, after the show. Saw and greeted Ian Carandang and Sam Kamada too, as well as UP professor Eric Manalastas. Everyone was happy.

The Carver Victorious!

(pic from Zsazsa groupie Paolo M., who watched it for the tenth time!)

I saw part of an episode of Nip/Tuck last Saturday. It had a masked stalker guy called the Carver. Heh. Anywaze, congratulations to the one, true Carver, as well as the dedicated cast and crew. It was a unique, fun experience, and may the movie star all these hardworking, talented actors. I didn't notice the whole thing was about over two and a half hours. I hope they make it a movie musical, but compressed below two hours. Dave says it can actually happen, because, well, you never know. It's going to be a Regal film, after all.

One Summer Never Ends

The weather’s still unbelievably, thickly humid, even at night. The heat is practically a solid, living force. There’s just no escaping it. Ah, well. You just get used to it, I guess. Can’t wait for the heavy rainfall that weathermen predicted, the kind we're supposed to experience some time during this summer.

Been a tiring work week. Was able to watch a few movies and read some new comics, though. Been planning to watch the last staging of Zsazsa Zaturnnah Ze Muzikal, but I discovered last Wednesday that it had just sold out, according to the ticketseller hotline lady. Paolo Manalo, miraculously and thankfully, texted me and was able to reserve me some. I wanted to catch it before it becomes a movie and to see how they’ve brought Carl Vergara’s characters and ideas to life. Watching that tomorrow.

I was only able to sleep for about two hours early Friday morning. Had to wake up early to visit a construction supply convention for a PR firm, where I was supposed to meet up with some interviewees. I did my darnedest to stay focused for most of the waiting and actual interviewing process. The two interviews went well and were lengthier than usual. They were about pesticides and termite infestations, topics that don’t really interest me, so I just had to keep myself awake and force myself to understand things that they were saying. These were conducted in two separate, classy dining places, where the food we were treated to was filling. The ambiance wasn’t bad, either.

I still have to transcribe them. I’ve worked on some press releases in the past, and while these have no bylines, I do enjoy writing them. I do feel like a dirty whore for writing them sometimes, because some clients and their associates can’t make up their minds on what they want long after you’ve given them a perfectly functional one, or pretend to know how to do the job themselves when they butcher your work with their own wordings. But, well, that’s part of the nature of the selling business. And writing copy that pimps products, and interacting with interesting people can offer me new perspectives. I’m real grateful for that opportunity.

Just slept a bit through traffic in the firm’s vehicle after that. Traffic was really horrid by 4-ish near Mandaluyong, as there was, I’d find out later, an ongoing mallwide sale in Megamall. I went to CQ and checked if last year’s Marvel Universe issues were on sale (these were the themed series), and they were so I finally got them. I also got a discounted Villiains United Special at Filbar’s. It’s a great, important tie-in to read before next week’s final ish of Infinite Crisis! It felt like one of the episodes of Justice League Unlimited for me. You’ll find out why if you read it. I’m really excited with the re-appearance of another villain, too.

Went up to catch the preview of Aquamarine, a silly, cute teen flick about a mermaid and friendships. Young pop singer Jojo Levesque, the girl with the cute babyfat cheeks, is in it as one of the high schoolers who befriend the pretty creature. And for the first time in my life, I won in one of those pre-screening raffles. It was a small but heavy snail mail letter rack. Wait, I actually don’t remember if the sponsor that gave away stuff was Stresstabs or another product. But the thing I got obviously wasn’t vitamins-related. Still, a prize is a prize, and I wasn’t expecting any. I actually hesitated from going in front, answering the true or false question, and claiming the thing. Update: I just opened the box and it had twelve Stresstabs capsules in it. So cool.

Went home to discover a touching email from a sibling. That was surprising. I stayed awake to surf a little and read my comics. And I woke up about four hours later to look briefly at the paper. Was pleasantly surprised to see an interview article I wrote early this week (thanks Pam and Tim!). Got back to bed and slept some more. And woke up to the light and heat of summer sunshine, hours later. Even the bathing water is hot. Yeek.

Not Mere Words, Part Trois

VH1 recently conducted a poll for Brits’ favorite lyrics. U2 topped that with “One”. The line, “One life with each other, sisters, brothers” was deemed the favorite. There were other notable entries; just check out Google News for them.

Here are some of mine again, in some of my old and new favorite songs. They’re poetic and attractive perspectives:

“Maybe there is a God above, but all I've ever learned from love, was how to shoot someone who outdrew you. And it's not a cry that you hear at night. It's not somebody who's seen the light, it's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah.”
--Jeff Buckley, “Hallelujah”

“To ease my pain, I took a pen and paper. Incarnate came the bleeding. Send it back before the public eye perverts it in the reading.”
--Indigo Girls, “Burn All the Letters”

“Sometimes I feel like I know too much. And sometimes I feel like I don't know nothing at all. But I can still be soft to the touch. Well, I am just a rumble doll.”
--Patti Scialfa, "Rumble Doll"

“Ask her how she knows there's a God up in the heavens. Where did he go in the middle of her shame? Ask her how she knows there's a God up in the heavens. She said his mercy is bringing her life again.”
-- Amy Grant, “Ask Me”

“Do you have eyes? Can you see like mankind sees? Why have you soured and curdled me? Oh, you tireless watcher! What have I done to you? That you make everything I dread and everything I fear come true?”
--Joni Mitchell, “The Sire of Sorrow (Job’s Sad Song)”

“Her boyfriend is Tom, but we call him the King of Romance. He wears an American flag on the butt of his ripped-up pants. And, will they get married with kids of their own? He says, ‘Not if she's going to college we won't’. And he kisses her, oh.... Someday I'll have a boyfriend just like that.”
--Dar Williams (left, pic from Yahoo Music), “The Babysitter’s Here”

“I can feel the eyes behind us as we walk. I can see the ears that listen when we talk.
I don’t care what the world has to say. You should know that I love you. I love you, I love you today.”
--Squeeze, “Heaven Knows”

”I saw you first. I'm the first one tonight. I saw you first. Don't that give me the right, to move around in your heart? Everyone was looking, but I saw you first.”
--John Mellencamp, “Key West Intermezzo (I Saw You First)”

Crayons to Cravings

My, how they’ve grown. Looking at some old classmates and batchmates’ Friendster profiles, it’s easy to assume that no, they’re not the same people I met or spent time with at school back in the day. They’re strangers, more so now than they’ve ever been. People who purported to be friends back then have moved on to different interests and have more pressing priorities now. It seemed that half our lives ago, the most terrifying thing that could happen was failing a subject, or not graduating, or getting a low entrance examination score.

It’s also surreal to see my picture beside that of another person I considered really close all those years ago, but one that I’m not particularly interested in contacting any time soon, or ever again. Quite a number of people from high school were likewise barely recognizable in many ways; I’m not sure what the hell happened to them between the last time we all left the hallowed halls of the alma mater and the time they created their profiles. But yeah, okay, life happened to them. And I don’t doubt that the same people may be thinking the same thing about me. It’s seeing the changes beyond the cosmetic that’s really amusing, that shows them as more complex creatures with constantly changing appetites. And it’s interesting that they’ve found things that kept them busy, happy or made their presences felt outside the seemingly innocent confines of the school years after.

It’s in school that we first meet people we fancy, look up to, or despise, and while there are incidents and embarrassments throughout those years that are best forgotten, it’s undeniable that we’ve often learned after stumbling. But that’s generalizing it; I’ve heard that some acquaintances are now faring poorly. Others are surprisingly doing extremely well, though, and have begun raising families or have become mentors in their respective fields. But it’s intriguing for me, personally, that the information I know of them now maps a semblance of their lives all those years. Some have obviously gone through personal hells, found or lost God, or, have become the polar opposites of their past personalities. I’d like to know a few of them now, actually, just to see how radical the transformations have been.

Ah, school. I remember a priest who asked me if I masturbated, as part of a strange q & a during confession (I'm not sure if he asked all the guys, but he pleaded to God that I be forgiven for committing such an offense before assigning some penance prayers). I remember the awful CAT marching sessions, which somehow empowered some officers to be verbally abusive and demeaning to the cadets. And I remember a stupid craphead who copied off my test paper but wouldn’t bother saying hello when I ran into him—and greeted him—off-campus.

Sometimes I wonder about them, and the time spent molding us into people that adhered to the rules and mission statements of the schools we’ve spent so many hours of our lives in. If anything, it’s a training ground for encountering and interacting with the Breakfast Club, where we discover ourselves at our purest, most confused, most selfless, and perhaps, most passionate.

LNA Announcement:

For those who’ve been looking for copies of Lexy, Nance and Argus at Comic Quest stores (yes, there are still some of you, thanks!), the comic book won’t be available there, like other consigned items, for a couple of weeks. But do check out Druid’s Keep in Magallanes (landline # 8545332) and Pride Exchange in Malate (landline # 5229429) in the meantime. Try calling them first before visiting, just in case. It will be back in CQ eventually; will announce when that happens.

One With the Cosmos

I’m loving Peter David’s Captain Marvel. It’s heartbreaking that after over thirty issues of the title character Genis-Vell’s gradual development as a superhero, he had to go crazy. As in, cosmically powered, Spectre-judgmental-mental. I wish they’d meet up—Hal Jordan- or Jim Corrigan-Spectre and Genis-- in a nice crossover written by Mr. David one day, but that’s highly unlikely now that Hal’s a GL again and Corrigan and Genis are now in comics limbo. Still, that would make a nice, offbeat team-up/adventure with philosophical and socially relevant layers. And the cosmic characters are essentially symbiotically bonded to other characters; in Cap’s case, Rick Jones is his conscience.

Anyway, back to the book. It’s way awesome and funny. And I love how miss superior, Moondragon, was developed. Heather and Marlo! Woohoo! Nice.

Super Books and Flying How’s

I bought the DC Comics Encyclopedia early last year. I haven’t really finished it; companion sourcebooks aren’t really things you read from cover to cover in one sitting. It has hundreds of character entries, which vary in length, depending on significance. Unlike the Essential and All-New Marvel Universe Handbooks, it has more concise data on the company’s decades-old properties. It’s jam-packed with interesting trivia, but it’s far from complete, and there are some big mistakes, most notably in Sue Dibny’s history. Still, the book is handy and comprehensible reading.

As for the current All-New Marvel Universe series, comprehensive info on strength levels and speed have been oversimplified to number ratings (0 to 7), like those of the old superhero trading cards from the early ’90s, presumably to prevent writers from being given constricting limitations. But the thick Essentials, twenty years after the original titles’ publication, still kick ass, as they thoroughly explain the fantastical physics and minutiae of superpowers, weaponry, and related paraphernalia. I’ve also been re-reading my three-year-old copy of the Marv Wolfman-written, George Perez-drawn History of the DC Universe, which beautifully expounds on the restructured post-Crisis DCU about two decades ago.

With massive crossover events currently ongoing at both comic book universes, and their mythologies constantly expanding and metamorphosing, it’s pretty useful to have these character and event bibles that, while far from complete, try to contain available, steadily growing information into organized, fan-pleasing tomes.

Easter Eggheadry

John and I watched the not-totally feelgood doggie flick Eight Below last Saturday, about husky sled dogs that got stranded in Antarctica for several months. It’s a live-action Disney film that was inspired by actual events, so expect equal parts triumph and tragedy. Basta, the dogs were really good actors.

Can’t remember anything important between that and the start of Holy Week; I just stayed home and worked on some articles.

Holy Tuesday evening, though, my editor sent me to cover the taping of two consecutive episodes of Rex Navarrete’s new cable show, Rex in the City, at the Fort-located MTV building. I interviewed the Fil-Am standup comic right after the second taping. The guy’s real smart and speaks eloquently, not surprisingly. He’s entertaining, even behind the scenes. Talked with the show’s producers and director after that, and left 8:50-ish. As I was looking for a cab, I discovered Embassy, the bar that Tim co-owns, I think, just a few meters from the MTV building. Looks swanky. People were outside looking at a photo shoot at the door, or something. Anyway, I got home immediately to transcribe, which felt more exciting than usual. Wrote and sent the article, hours before the deadline my good editor gave me.

Wednesday night, Benedict dropped by with a boxful of Captain Marvel comics by Peter David and Chris Cross, and took pics of my toys, some of which are posted below (click images to enlarge). He also lent me a copy of Donnie Darko, which is one of the weirdest, most pa-existential things I’ve seen so far. It starred young Jake Gyllenhaal, about four years before he Brokebacked. I had to look at FAQ’s of some fan sites to get what some of the scenes meant. The movie makes more sense if you read them, actually. But I still have questions. Hmm.

Black Saturday, I went to the nearby mall in the afternoon, and the food court was packed like it was a regular weekend. I find it a little strange, but good, that some food establishments continue their regular services during the three Catholic holidays. Things have changed since I was a kid; you’d be hard-pressed to find an open store or food place in commercial districts back then.

Plastic Fantastique

To Me, My Academy X

Some of the teachers and students at the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, or the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning, if you’re being nitpicky. I put Sasquatch there because she’s an Exiles member and that’s sort of an X-team, too. She’s the wife of an alternate reality’s Wolverine. And the Sentinel is Rover, from Grant Morrison and Marc Silvestri’s confusing but cool New X-Men arc “Here Comes Tomorrow”. By the way, Benedict posed Nightcrawler.

Villains United!

Or, Acts of Vengeance! Yeah, they're ultra-hot, looking all mean and deadly together like that. Can’t wait for the Onslaught set (Loki, Blackheart, Lady Deathstrike, Pyro, and Abomination). I want a Kingpin! I hope there’s a cheap loose figure of that (it comes with a DD figure as part of a 2-pack), and Kang (from the FF Classics). Must work more. Waah.

Penultimatum

Spoilers!

Infinite Crisis # 6 is out. Good slam-bang-heavy issue overall. Superboy Prime returns from the Speed Force, where he claims he was imprisoned with red sunlight for years. It’s good to know that he’s not Anti-Monitor-possessed, that they didn’t resurrect the old villain anymore, and crazy SB Prime’s just sporting energy-draining armor he designed based on the old one he scavenged pre-IC.

The sequel to Crisis on Infinite Earths has been enjoyable so far, as it upsets the status quo in the DC Universe again. The body count, the eventual resolution to the funks that Superman, Batman, and Wonder Woman have been in, and the expected sacrifice of Superboy (Kon-El/Conner Kent) are some of the many highlights of the penultimate issue. Among COIE’s significant deaths was Supergirl’s, and having Superboy perish this time seems apt. I was kinda hoping for a déjà vu moment where SB-Prime would finish him off the way the Anti-Monitor terminated the original Kara, but it’s a good thing they didn’t go that way.

I actually liked Conner-Superboy immediately after he debuted during the Reign of the Supermen arc, and through the years, he’s been the fun, fresh, naive superhero that added an integral hipness and attitude to several teen teams’ rosters (he was a member of the Ravers, Young Justice, Titans, and the Legion of Superheroes). I especially liked Joe Kelly and Pascual Ferry’s take on him, as well as his portrayal during the Abnett-Lanning stint in Legion just two years ago. I’m not a fan of the brooding and more mature character he’s become lately in Teen Titans, but well, he, along with goofball speedster Impulse had to grow up and become more serious about the superhero biz some time. Conner had a nice sendoff anyway; his and Wonder Girl’s relationship was nicely addressed in the recent Teen Titans Annual. It was obvious that he was going to get killed off soon, and not Nightwing as the previous IC issues have been trying to misleadingly hint at.

And so he’s gone, until he’s resurrected in a future mega-event, that is. But these changes will stick for a while. One issue to go, but we all know the story doesn’t really end there. There’s still 52, the IC Aftermath series of limited series, and of course, the somewhat spoiler-ish One Year Later-arc titles.

Speaking of status quo shakeups, Marvel’s New Avengers: Illuminati special is interesting. This leads to the Mark Millar-penned Civil War limited series, which will pit hero factions siding with and refusing the new Superhero Registration Act against each other. Illuminati is quite good; Bendis shows here that he’s capable of telling an intriguing, self-contained story in one issue. The secret gathering of some of Marvel’s superhero community leaders breaks up over some of the Illuminati members’ recent decisions. The premise is sound enough (although people will question several continuity points), and the Civil War preview (the last few pages of the special) ominously depicts an event that will affect Marvel for the foreseeable future. Or at least, until the next extra-lengthy, everything-changes crossover.

Oh, I also read Young Avengers # 11. I was right! Good thing they didn’t drag the children of ex-Avengers arc out too long. Good issue.

And All-Star Superman # 3: Not as fun as the previous issue for me, but it’s still entertaining. I like the new super-strong mythical characters, as well as Lois Lane’s brief costumed persona as Superwoman.

I’m still randomly reading Essential Marvel Universe Handbooks entries. Informative and very much worth owning, if you don’t have the complete sets already.

Stranger Things

I was finishing my late lunch at a nearby mall’s food court when an old guy, whose height is about 5’4”, stopped by about two feet to my left. He fixed his backpack on the table parallel to mine for a few minutes, and just as he zipped up his bag, his spread-out wallet fell from the side of the table. He didn’t notice.

He was about to walk away when I tapped him by his side and told him, “nahulog ho yung wallet.” He looked surprised and puzzled, so I pointed down. He was happy, of course, and proceeded to thank me.

“Naku, thank you… kung sa ibang lugar ko nahulog ito, walang malasakit ang ibang tao. May kaunting pera ito pero ang mahirap mawala eh ‘yung mga ID.”

A brief, reluctant conversation ensued, but we didn't really bother introducing ourselves. He told me that he was already 79, and politely asked my age. I told him, and I quickly mentioned that telling him about the dropped wallet was no big deal. But he was really grateful.

“Totoy, mabuti na lang may mga taong may good manners and right conduct. Pagpalain ka sana ng diyos!”

I thanked him and told him to take care. It felt good to do that simple thing, basically because I expect people to do the same thing for me should something similar happen.

Bizarro Superman

Not really, but that's the new Clark Kent's reflection. Brandon Routh/Superman Returns pic from Yahoo! Movies.

Grown-up Matters

Got this comment from Alejandro Abadilla, who responded to witty, rabble-rousing Adam David’s questionnaire about Filipino comic books.

Adam: Do people still say that comic books are for children?
Alejandro: No. But it isn't a bad thing. Nor is it a general thing. It's not a blanket condition since there are exists comics out there that are "meant/designed" for specific age groups. If so, why do comics manufacturers insist on labeling their works "for mature readers only". Some would say that it's meant to be a joke; that their comic books are not intended for readers who are in their 30s but are too immature when it comes to handling their relationships or credit card debts or something. But who are they kidding? They put the label precisely because a four-year old kid would never understand the problems of Lexy, Nance, and Argus.
- - - - - - - -
I emailed him the following, to elaborate on my book’s “mature readers” label (Update: I just noticed that this is a slightly edited version of the email I sent him. Okay, must sleep now.).
- - - - - - - - -
Actually, the "mature readers only" label in my case is there precisely because, yes, kids would never understand the problems of the book's characters, and more so because it's a disclaimer if ever their parents or elders discovered them reading or browsing through it. As something that has partially seen print in a magazine (first 18 pages/Chapter 1 of the book), I've gotten some feedback from adults, way back, that were less than encouraging, as well as reactions that have been very supportive of a future compilation or a continuation of the story. I knew I'd be making some people really uncomfortable with some of the subject matter I'd be exploring. So I put the "mature" label there too for those who are bound to dislike the fact that such topics have been discussed.

The immature adults are there, as expected. “Immature adults” at the back cover was meant as a jab, a warning that certain people will not like or appreciate the comic book’s takes on non-traditional ideas. Many months after the comic book was released, for example, my sister told me about an incident wherein her friend's pre-teen/grade 7 sister was caught by their Opus Dei mom reading the comic book. They (my sister and friend) had to point out that the girl rummaged through her brother's things without permission, and the disclaimer on the cover--and the "sex" in the title-- were there all along. The mother was nonetheless scandalized.

There was another incident. My friend gave a copy to his straight male friend as a gift. He (the straight guy) didn't finish reading it--he had about ten pages left-- because he felt that the friend who gave it to him was, to paraphrase, "pushing the gay lifestyle on him". He returned the gift.

And recently, I gave a copy to someone whom I thought might be receptive to it. But after reading it, she apologized because it was "too adult" for her. But I understand what she meant, and I appreciate that she was really sensitive enough and honest to admit that to me. I don't expect everyone to be receptive to it, as that would be grossly unrealistic.

I also put the "mature readers" label there so that salespeople who have no idea what the comic book's about won't accidentally sell them to kids. I didn't wanna complicate things with the shops; I didn't want them to get complaints from angry parents if such things happened. But the three stores where I had them consigned, thankfully, are careful enough not to sell them to minors. They're used to the label, actually, as they sell other items with mature themes or content as well.

I'd like to add that I didn't wanna inconvenience anyone if ever problems regarding the sexual or religious content arose, that's why I decided to make/publish/market it myself, under its own indie label, if it can even be called that. I didn't wanna implicate any publisher or organization by association if certain people felt offended by it.

Thanks for the comment, Alejandro. That made me think.

Like Chocolate Cake, Like Cigarettes

If you sit down at Glorietta’s Food Choices food court long enough, you’ll notice that they keep looping two songs over their audio system. One is Bachelor Girl’s “Buses and Trains”, and the other is No Doubt’s “Simple Kind of Life”. It was only last Sunday, after several times of hearing them in the past few weeks that I sat or ate there, that I discovered that they were actually showing the videos of the two songs between ads in an elevated TV. How odd, I thought; I wonder why they don’t change them. But the food joint workers there must’ve tuned them out by now. Not that they’re not catchy, but, you know.

I actually had the Bachelor Girl album on cassette tape. I really like that song most of all, particularly the lines, “I know they’re bad for me but I just can’t leave them alone” and like some vices, “a man can kill and still be the sweetest fun”. Brilliant, brilliant.

About three years ago, though, I ran out of blank tapes for my recorder, so I used that for an interview. I think I may have promised myself to get a replacement copy of that one day, along with new copies of the second Merril Bainbridge and Tara McLean albums, which I had to use for different assignments. But I'm not really sure.

I discovered their still-intact lyric sheets and cases piled in a dusty part of my room. I cleaned that up a few hours ago. I just transferred most of my old, now-unused tape collection onto a shelvable plastic container with wheels that no one was using. The items ranged from stuff I got back in high school, to those I bought dirt-cheap in 2003, as well as recordings of interviews with celeb and non-celeb subjects. The collection was yet another colorful, mnemonic map that triggered memories of specific events and phases.

I didn’t really organize in any order; I just needed to get them together into the plastic box. I stopped every few minutes of stacking to look at them. There were Lilith Fair ladies (Sarah McLachlan, Indigo Girls, Sinead O’Connor, Sheryl Crow, etc.) mingled with some new wave albums (the Beggars’ Banquet Collection, River Detectives, The Cure’s Disintegration, etc.), pop ones (Billy Joel’s Storm Front, Wilson Phillips, Richard Marx’s first album!), techno and electronica-related acts (John Digweed, Gus Gus, etc.), and soundtracks (Go, Pretty in Pink, Twin Peaks, etc.).

“Through times of joy and suffering, the music flavors everything”, goes a line from Human League’s “Soundtrack to a Generation”. How true, especially for me. Music has been, and will always be, important to me. Even after I’ve moved on to CD’s (basically because the tape players have stopped working, among other reasons), the countless songs will continue to express words I connect with or need to say, or provide pounding rhythms that soothe my mind and calm my nerves.

The last CD I bought was Vienna Teng’s Warm Strangers, a few months back. I’ve also been enjoying Gumby’s great mix CDs too, which compile my personal ‘80s-to-present pop, folk, new wave and corporate rock favorites. Most of them are songs I previously had as tape tracks. Others are songs I missed from way back. But each song has sentimental worth.

One day, I’ll be moving on to a trusty gadget that compresses all the songs I need to hear in my lifetime. I honestly can’t see that happening any time soon, but I gotta admit, I never saw myself eventually owning a CD collection, however small, back when vinyl records were the coolest thing, either.

Pretty Sinful

It's past 1 a.m. and I'm craving for pizza and ice cream. Not too satisfied with the pancit canton I ate for dinner. But that’ll have to do, I guess, since I’m sleeping in a bit.

Was finally able to try out a slice of Sbarro’s Chicago Deep Dish Pizza last Tuesday. Hm. It was thick and real meaty. Yeah, it’s actually meat pie; it had slices and bits of, if I’m not mistaken, pepperoni sausages, ham and other similar toppings. But these were all compressed inside over an inch-thick pie, with tomato sauce and cheese topping its upper crust (or whatever you call it). I had to see what the fuss was all about. It tastes pretty much like your typical meat-lover’s flavored pan pizza to me, like you took two big slices and pressed their upper parts onto each other. It’s not something I’d regularly eat, though, because it has more meat than I’d like in one serving. And the price, for me, makes it for special occasions only.

Speaking of food, Bodhi has the shrimp okoy mimicked with their new crunchy vegemeat product. It looks, tastes and feels the same, except for the part where your mouth gets pricked by shrimp casings (or shells? I dunno). It’s okay. Okay okoy. But I hope they make bigger servings.

Enjoyed Chowking’s Halo-Halo Fiesta a few days ago. It has two small ice cream scoops (melon and ube flavors) and the usual toppings, like banana slices, ube, leche flan, beans, sago, pinipig, and kaong. Yummy summer dessert. Gah, it’s late and I’m still thinking of food.

Pretty Evil

Some of TV’s pretty faces of evil: Desperate Housewives’ Andrew (Shawn Pyfrom, above) and 24’s Mandy (Mia Kirshner, below). Andrew is the malevolent gay son of control freak Bree Van De Kamp (Marcia Cross). In season 2, the war between homophobic mother and rebellious child escalates, with Andrew relentlessly manipulating his boyfriend (played by Ryan Carnes) to make her snap. But he gets meaner with every appearance, and continues to be one of the show’s more intriguing scheming characters. Obsessive Bree, however, isn’t without tricks up her well-pressed sleeve.

Bisexual assassin Mandy, meanwhile, is a recurring villainess in 24. She’s blown up a plane in the first season, targeted the president in the second, and staged an impromptu hostage situation in the fourth. Hope she reappears in season five. Super CTU agent Bauer needs more deadly, resourceful enemies like her.

I Love You, You Pay My Rent

Watched Rent and Ultraviolet recently. Uhmmm… Rent had some really catchy songs and performances, but didn’t feel like a cohesive enough movie (unlike other movie musicals like Chicago or Moulin Rouge), because of the uneasy gaps between song-and-dance numbers. Ultraviolet? Ultra-repetitive. Unbeatable, expressionless Milla the Killing Machine likes striking cool action poses after stabbing or blowing up her enemies. She fights the establishment, led by a guy wearing funny-looking noseplugs.

Found Roger Avery’s The Rules of Attraction compelling, if a bit disaffecting by the end. The guy has serious storytelling chops. He was able to create separate realities that were ultimately united by sex, drugs, and the characters' unrequited desires. The ending feels inconsequential and a bit unsatisfying, but there were nice details all over that made the characters extra-lovable (or hateable, depending).

And it was surreal seeing James “Dawson” Van Der Beek play a cussing, nose-picking, masturbating, and drug-dealing bastard. Also, it was nice to see Jessica Biel as a horny college girl, Ian Somerhalder as a yoga-stretching gay guy, and Eric Szamanda as an awful filmmaker wannabe.

Action Figure Junkie

I never felt deprived of toys as a kid. I find them cool, 3-dimensional representations of some favorite comics or cartoon characters. I’m obviously more appreciative of them now. Some people like saving for fancy footwear. Others like collecting religious statues. Me, aside from my other interests, I can just sit down and admire a nicely crafted action figure. It’s also great timing that they’re making them so well now. I’m one happy geek.

To continue my dream toy set post from weeks back:

Cameron Hodge Set: Build the huge snake-like cyborg bad-ass from the so-so crossover X-tinction Agenda! The series includes Warlock (techno-organic), Wolfsbane (X-Factor uniform), Nimrod, Daytripper (Amanda Sefton), Marrow (the mean-looking, Pacheco-era one), and Lilandra (Byrne-armored version).

Awesome Andy Set: With mini-chalkboard! Assemble one with an '80s-themed series. Ms. Marvel II (She-Thing!), Aurora (yellow costume), Box I (red Roger Bochs armor, with blue variant), Dr. Druid, Silver Sable and Starhawk.

Fin Fang Foom! No real theme for this one, just some random characters that might possibly make good figures. Two-Gun Kid, Captain Britain (female Avenger), Radioactive Man, Machine Man (NextWave version, with tons of attachable weapons), Ikaris and Enchantress.

Oh, DC’s selling their super-articulated figures now. First up is the Batman set. It looks okay, but it’s P800 a figure. Yikes. Was hoping the price would be as low as a Marvel Legends’. They look decently done, but I’m not too hot for the brightly colored version of Bats. Bane and Scarecrow look nice, but I won’t buy them just yet. Will wait for them to go on sale, maybe. I’m waiting for the red-costumed Azrael figure; that one looks real good. It’s the costume originally designed by Joe Quesada way back in 1992, I think.

So okay, let’s pretend that like Marvel Legends, these DC Superheroes line will be having assemble-a-figure gimmicks too. Here are my dream sets/suggestions:

The General Series: Build the General/Shaggy Man with Zauriel, Wonder Woman (Hippolyta), Aztek, Orion (bigger than the old DC Direct version), Green Arrow (Connor Hawke), and Triumph (baddie).

Giant Anti-Monitor! Build the original Crisis villain with Troia (current costume), Ray II (white uniform with jacket), Supergirl (with flame wings), Tempest, Dr. Fate (recent one), and Dr. Light (Kimiyo Hoshi).

Leviathan I Set: Post-Zero Hour Legion series! Livewire, XS, Saturn Girl, Karate Kid, RJ Brande, Sensor (all-serpent version), and Ultra Boy.

Leviathan II Set: Another post-Zero Hour Legion series that forms the giant Violet/Leviathan II! M’onel, Brainy, Invisible Kid, Apparition, Ferro, Monstress (green), and Cosmic Boy.

Giganta! Villains United theme! Create your own Giganta with Catman, Talia Al Ghul, Knockout, Scandal Savage, Cheshire, and The Calculator (with Dr. Psycho!).

Inukchuk Set: Giant Manitou Raven figure! Figs are some of the faves from the Kelly-Mahnke run: Faith, Sister Superior, Manitou Dawn, Major Disaster, Coldcast, Jason Blood, and Scorch.

Armored Krona Set: This is an all-villain set too. Fernus, Queen Bee II, Queen of Fables, Gamemnae (human form), Despero, Prometheus and Eclipso (Jean Loring).

Hope they get made. I'm not holding my breath, but, well, we'll see.

Mighty Mites

Went to Makati for an assignment two days ago and learned about different species and castes of Philippine termites. It's interesting, actually. Wrote about the anti-pest product a few hours ago.

From Hernancia Cua’s Old Songbook:

You
Keep me safe in your arms
Hold me tightly in the cold
Call me lover
Call me friend
Smile and don’t pretend
Sleep and I watch you in the dark
Helped me find myself
Taught me how to feel
Love me so much
Love me not
Love making love
Are the sweet soothing force
Aren’t shy with words
Are my salvation
Aren’t afraid
Are mine
Just are
Have plans and the spirit
Get pissed like me sometimes
Drool on my pillow and I find it cute
Talk about truth and I turn mute
Talk about life and I find my voice
Make sense of the chaos and the noise
Take my breath away
Make my heart beat fast
Make me feel my soul
Make me spurt
Make me calm
Make me crazy and turn me on

Something Borrowed, Someone Blue

It’s weird when people borrow stuff from you and it takes years before you get them back. I miss my old Marvels series—five issues painted by Alex Ross—and it’s been almost ten years since I last saw them. I also have other comic books with other friends, and while we don’t keep in touch as much as we’d like, they’re still people I don’t regret lending my stuff to.

But I miss my things. I wish people had some initiative to return stuff that aren’t theirs. Some people at least acknowledge that they still have some of my belongings. But I tried contacting other people about meeting up and getting my books back but, pfft, no reaction. If my things can’t be found, just tell me. I’d appreciate that a lot better than getting no response. Please don't ignore me.

If they're lost, or in bad shape, I'm okay with getting replacement copies. I'm okay with getting their cash equivalent too, but that means I still have to look for new copies myself. Oh well.

Ain’t Cookin’ No Mo’

Hey, South Park’s back at Jack TV! Was it ever off the air? But they’re still old episodes. It made entertainment headlines again just recently, because Isaac Hayes (Chef) left the show last week. The practicing Scientologist reportedly wasn’t comfortable with the show’s irreverence towards his religion. But the show’s creators have responded that, to paraphrase, he didn’t have problems with other religions being made fun of before. Story here.

Ye Olde Bestiary




Juxta Poser and Batty (1996 and 1999).

Pre-Summer Loving

Nothing much these past few days. Weather’s wonky. I have a cold. But only one nostril is clogged. Been feeling a little drowsy.

Finished season 4 of 24, which kind of fizzled out in some parts near the end, but it’s still okay. Was shocked to learn, when I visited some websites, that some characters will die early next season. Nooooo! Jack will be chased and accused of crimes he didn’t commit, as usual, and will have to spend time as a fugitive again, albeit temporarily. It’s getting a little tired… a lot tired, actually… but I hope they do a season where the bad guys capture Jack, mess with his mind, and make him one of them. That could work, and a brainwashed, terrorist Jack Bauer versus less-experienced but similarly relentless CTU agents could kick ass.

Been listening to a nice new mix CD, courtesy of Gumby. Read the surprisingly good Thing issues, #s 1-4, by Dan Slott (oh my god, that’s Brynocki from Rom!). Read and re-read some old stuff. Worked. Blah blah. Watched the pilot episodes of My Name is Earl and Everybody Hates Chris. They were both okay. Hope to catch them, and new eps of Arrested Development when I can.

Anyway, will just plug this. Tangkilikin po ninyo:

Arnold Arre’s all-new comic book Andong Agimat. Buy it now! Click on the image for details.

Valerie's Letter

I wasn’t expecting much from V for Vendetta, as the previous screen translation of creator Alan Moore’s comic book project, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, was just disappointing and ineffectual. I think he had his name removed from this new film’s credits, so you just see “based on the graphic novel illustrated by David Lloyd”. Having read the V trade paperback last year, I, along with friends, wondered if certain key scenes and characters would make it to the Wachowski brothers’ script, and how radically transformed Moore’s story would be. It was surprising that the compression was watchable and penetrating.

Well, as with other comics-to-film projects, it’s not entirely gripe-free. It’s glossy, made contemporary and toned down, not surprisingly, and several character elements have been simplified or excised to fit the running time. But it took the essence of Moore and Lloyd’s gritty and pulsating masterpiece and made it a timely film that’s both stylish and substantial. They didn’t scrimp on the dialogue, and the action parts were well-placed, practically storyboarded by the existing material.

One of the more powerful scenes is Valerie’s letter. I remember reading an issue of V for Vendetta back in 1993 (I’m not sure if I borrowed it from John, who bought it from Gerry, who was selling his comics back then). But If I remember correctly, I bought a copy myself after reading it years later, when I saw it at Booksale. I’m not sure which branch anymore, but it still has its P 12 price tag. This was issue six, which had young English woman Evey (played by Natalie Portman in the movie), suspected ally of masked vigilante V (Hugo Weaving in the movie), imprisoned in the concentration camp for minorities--gays, non-whites, non-Christians--and activists.

Evey discovers a short letter written on toilet paper (that strangely looks like thick tracing paper in the film, but one’ll stop being nitpicky in a bit). That's the tragic story of Valerie, slipped through the cracked wall between their cells. It detailed how the lesbian woman, a former actress, discovered her sexuality and how she ended up tortured because she’s gay.

When I read it originally as a comic book over a decade ago, it made me sad. It was one of those stories that further convinced me that comic books can really be a vehicle for compelling, mature content. When I finally read the compilation last year, I was reminded how real she was. And that sent some tears rolling down.

When I saw her story told within that bigger, sprawling story last Tuesday, that left me quite stunned. The filmmakers didn’t remove it or clean it up. They shortened it a bit but expounded on some of the nuances. It still made me sad and shed some tears, seeing Valerie’s brief story unfold vividly.

I copied this off of the original comic book. While typing this, I still feel the source material’s power:

V for Vendetta # 6: Chapter 11: Valerie

“I was born in Nottingham in 1957, and it rained a lot. I passed my eleven plus and went to girl’s grammar. I wanted to be an actress. I met my first girlfriend at school. Her name was Sara. She was fourteen and I was fifteen but we were both in Miss Watson’s class. Her wrists. Her wrists were beautiful.

I sat in Biology class, staring at the pickled rabbit foetus in its jar, listening while Mr. Hird said it was an adolescent phase that people outgrew…

Sara did. I didn’t.

In 1976, I stopped pretending and took a girl called Christine home to meet my parents. A week later, I moved to London, enrolling at Drama college. My mother said I broke her heart… but it was my integrity that was important. Is that so selfish? It sells for so little, but it’s all we have left in this place. It is the very last inch of us… but within that inch, we are free.

London. I was happy in London. In 1981 I played Dandini in Cinderella. My first rep work. The world was strange and rustling and busy, with invisible crowds behind the hot lights and all that breathless glamour. It was exciting and it was lonely. At nights I’d go to Gateways or some of the other clubs, but I was stand-offish and didn’t mix easily. I saw a lot of the scene, but I never felt comfortable there. So many of them just wanted to be gay. It was their life, their ambition, all they talked about.

And I wanted more than that.

Work improved. I got small film roles, then bigger ones. In 1986, I starred in ‘The Salt Flats’. It pulled the awards but not the crowds. I met Ruth while working on that. We loved each other. We lived together, and on Valentine’s Day, she sent me roses, and oh god, we had so much. Those were the best three years of my life.

In 1988 there was the war, and after that there were no more roses. Not for anybody.

In 1992, after the take-over, they started rounding up the gays. They took Ruth while she was out looking for food. Why are they so frightened of us? They burned her with cigarette ends and made her give my name. She signed a statement saying I’d seduced her. I didn’t blame her. God, I loved her. I didn’t blame her. But she did. She killed herself in her cell. She couldn’t live with betraying me, with giving up that last inch. Oh Ruth.

They came for me. They told me that all my films would be burned. They shaved off my hair. They held my head down a toilet bowl and told jokes about lesbians. They brought me here and gave me drugs. I can’t feel my tongue anymore. I can’t speak.

The other gay woman here, Rita, died two weeks ago. I imagine I’ll die quite soon. It is strange that my life should end in such a terrible place, but for three years I had roses and apologized to nobody.

I shall die here. Every inch of me shall perish. Except one. An inch. It is small and it’s fragile and it’s the only thing in the world that’s worth having. We must never lose it, or sell it, or give it away. We must never let them take it from us. I don’t know who you are, or whether you’re a man or woman. I may never see you. I will never hug you or cry with you or get drunk with you. But I love you.

I hope you escape this place. I hope that the world turns and things get better, and that one day people have roses again. I wish I could kiss you.

Valerie”

Babyng Mataba


Inosente pa at may gilit-gilit ang legs. Napaka-'70s nung headboard, o.

Bloody Heck

Got this Jay Hernandez-Hostel pic from Hollywood.com. There was one of him gagged and about to be tortured, but I didn’t feel like posting that here, so I chose this one. Saw the movie last Tuesday too. Was able to catch one of the afternoon previews. Jay's the Latino boy from Crazy Beautiful, I think. All I gotta say for now is, if you have the stomach to watch his character get beaten up, vomit, or get real bloody… well, watch it. But worse things happen to other characters. I’d rather not say anything about that. It’s R-18, damn gory and uncut, so it’s only screening at non-SM cinemas next week.

Some young women entered as the end credits were rolling. They brought food and drinks with them. Big mistake, ladies.

Good Mourning


X3: Beast, Colossus, Kitty, Iceman, Rogue (photo from Newsarama)

Don’t know who the lady at the left is or the character she’s playing. But it’s safe to assume the assembled people are mourning a dead friend. Friends? X-Men? According to some rumors, a few will bite the dust. The second trailer is out, but I’ve only seen some screen caps so far. In another scene, Magneto leads a mutant army, with Callisto, Pyro, Madrox (I think that’s him) and a resurrected Jean Grey/Dark Phoenix walking beside him. Hmm… where is Mystique? She’s there in the movie but I wonder why she’s not beside her boss this time.

This opens on the last week of May worldwide. Hope to watch it two weeks before that. I’m a little excited.

Weekenderers

Delivered copies of Lexy, Nance & Argus to Pride Exchange in Malate early Friday evening, something I should’ve done months earlier, as the comic book had sold out there quite some time ago. Went there with Malate newbie John, who found the streets of the Nakpil-Orosa district and those leading to A. Mabini fascinating and textured. They were so removed from how the rest of Metro Manila’s commercial establishments looked—the area's a mixture of decades-old structures and new food and recreational joints—and you just know the people working there have really colorful stories to tell.

Ended up eating dinner at Robinson’s Place. The Comic Odyssey shop has transferred to another part of the mall and is now bigger and better lit. And they had the nicest looking action figure sets on sale, too. Worth going back and checking out again. It reminds me a bit of Druid’s Keep, which has affordably priced toys and related items. And speaking of hobby shops, Comic Quest looks different now because Vinnie moved his things out of the Megamall store. It’s strange, actually, to see his clutter of comics piles and toys gone from that corner. Hope he’s well and enjoying life away from the family business.

Benedict dropped by last Saturday night and brought some borrowed DVDs. We watched the 1988 suspense flick Apartment Zero, which starred a young Colin Firth. That was weird. But Firth’s good, even then. We also watched the last ten minutes of Memento, a part which he hasn’t seen yet because his copy was broken. We were able to watch 40 minutes of the excellent Serenity too, but we were too sleepy already to fully appreciate it so we stopped it and just rested. He was supposed to take pics of my toys again but we can do that next time he’s around. Gave him my Brokeback Mountain preview ticket, production notes and pictures, since he liked the movie and felt really depressed about it for several days. Oh, and we shared a Big Mac.

Plugger

Events Girl Camille's message:
“Non-Linear Editor / Motion Graphic Artist Prime Movers Productions, Inc. is looking for full-time Non-Linear Editors/Motion Graphic Artist with experience in Final Cut Pro and Adobe Photoshop and After Effects. Interested Applicants may get in touch with Ms. Joane Fernandez for Interview. Pls prepare Demo reels and CV. Prime Movers Productions, Inc. 7296390-91 PMPI Creative Suites 1486 D.Oliman St. Santiago Village, Makati City”

Dumbo

It’s really annoying when store employees don’t want to help you because they’re too lazy to do their job. Whenever I look for certain things in music stores or other shops, it’s easy to tell when they don’t wanna help you because they don’t even bother checking their stock lists, and just tell you point blank that they're not available. It’s happened to me a number of times. “Wala kaming Marvel Select”. Or, “Wala kaming ganung CD.” Sometimes, they don’t even know what they’re selling. Once, I asked for Cynthia Alexander’s new album, and one saleslady asked her co-worker the same question. That other person responded, “Alexander? Movie? ‘Di ba ‘yon ‘yung pumatol sa bakla?”

They shrug and say they’re not available, looking at me sometimes as if I just made the stuff up. But I feel vindicated when I look through their display items, show them when I find what I’m looking for, and tell them, politely, “Eto, o.”

Jeez. Sometimes, some snarky and sarcastic mall security guards have the same nasty effect. That’s another thing entirely, but it all boils down to bad training. As customers, we deserve much, much better.

Super Foxy Chocolat


Aisha Tyler (pic from Yahoo! TV)

Saw some episodes of 24 (season 4) earlier this week, too. It started off pretty much by the numbers, even with most of the cast replaced and new characters putting a new spin on the conceit. Jack Bauer has a female boss now; the president is a new one; Kim, Chase, and Michelle are gone. The only familiar character aside from Jack is Chloe, and the actress looks skinny now. The suspense and dangers proceed like clockwork. But I was surprised with the guest appearance of Aisha Tyler. I loved her in E!’s Talk Soup. I like how she hosted that, and I miss her infectious, bordering-on-drunkenness laughter. She plays someone serious and mysterious (in this show, who isn’t?), a techie named Mary Anne. I hope she does more shows after this. Aisha was way subdued in Friends as Charlie in the last two seasons. It’d be great if her fans can see her comedic host-side again. I miss her going, “Heeeeyyyy!!!!”

Hero Watch

The Exiles (pic from marvel.com)

Infinite Crisis # 5 slows down after the action-packed previous issue. A lot of it is foreshadowing for the next two issues’ big battles, no doubt. The death toll has also slowed down, but someone buys the farm, and we don’t know exactly why, yet.

Astonishing X-Men returns with the all-new Hellfire Club, still communicating with Emma Frost. I hope she doesn’t turn out to be evil all along. I’m sure that she’s got a grand plan of her own come the arc’s climax. She’s more interesting as a bitchy, manipulative character that stands out in the flock of angels, than a villainess that gets her ass handed to her occasionally by the heroes.

Exiles (pictured above) is really fun. It gathers less popular characters from Marvel’s infinite Earths (Blink, Morph, Spider-Man 2099, Longshot, Sabretooth and Power Princess make up the latest lineup), who guard the realities from interdimensional threats like Proteus, an evil Hyperion, and so on. I found the “Destroy All Monsters” storyline one of the title’s cooler arcs. The heroes’ jaunts through the New Universe and the 2099 reality were also memorable. The mix of familiar characters and concepts, and the non-stop visits to Marvel’s forgotten franchises offer infinite story possibilities. The art could be better, though. And Claremont will be taking over the writing chores soon… I’m not too excited about that.

Leave ‘Em Wanting More


Bye, now (pic from silverbulletcomics)

Justice League Unlimited is over. The show ends with a full-scale alien invasion, just like in the first episode about four years back, and everyone, even the Legion of Doom, is fighting for the planet’s salvation. Man, it’s one of the most memorable cartoon series ever. It's been a fine final season. In the concluding episode: Superman cuts loose! Batman lightens up! Martian Manhunter returns! And Flash gets a kiss! This show will be missed. But it’s still airing over Cartoon Network and Jack TV, methinks. Hail and Hallelujah.