This blog should be sub-titled: a journal of my life in geek.
I get my geek on with things about which I am geeky: comic books, Baseball, Ultimate, science fiction, my favorite bands, books I have read and loved, and Jungian psychology to name some of the most frequently traversed subjects.
I began this project simply as a way to count my T-shirts. I own a lot of T-shirts. But how many do I have? Do I have 365? We shall find out.
When I started this blog, I thought about how each T-shirt means something to me. I bought it for a reason, after all. I set myself the task to post an entry about a new T-shirt every day as a way to simply write something every day, a warm up for writing fiction, which is my passion. Writing is like exercise. Warm ups are good for exercise. But after completing a month of blogging about T-shirts, I have learned that this blog serves as a journal; it documents my life in geek, sort of a tour of my interests in pop culture. The blog serves as a tool for self-inventory, for assessment and analysis of self and the origins of self, for stepping through the process of individuation in catalogues, lists, and ranks.
The blog also made me aware that I have some serious gaps in my T-shirt ownership, and I am in the process of collecting some new T-shirts for several of the great popular culture icons that I truly love. Stay tuned.
I was also a bit surprised that people checked out my blog and continue to check it, read it, and even comment on it. I am very appreciative of this readership. Please feel free to share your thoughts in my comments section. I will respond.
Also, please note that I have moved the original introductory text to the side bar. And now, I present to you the most recent entry of 365 T-shirts: a journal of my life in geek. Thank you for reading.
(Second Update - 1310.24. First Update - 1306.05 Originally Posted - 1304.25.)
T-shirt #108: Police Athletics: Powers Division: Grilling and more
Here again in Blog Central, things are changing and always in flux. After two days (July 4th and 5th) of going completely nuts with long, drum solo, "In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida" -style, lengthy blog entries, I am trying to dial it back. Yesterday, I sketched out the next week's worth of blog entries (#s 108-113), but then things happened, such as grilling some steaks: change of plan.
This picture comes from yesterday about 19:30. Piper's friends from college are here to celebrate her birthday. Adding her boyfriend and Ivan's girlfriend to our group, I was grilling for eight people. Piper and Olivia were handling potatoes and zucchini indoors, so I was grilling on the deck, while listening to the Detroit Tigers pound the Cleveland Indians 9-4. Now, as I compose today's blog entry, I am watching Andy Murray play (and I hope beat) Novak Djokovic in a live TV broadcast from Wimbeldon. GO MURRAY!
This shirt is one of those fictional creations for what would be available to the characters if the Powers Police Division actually existed and provided employees who work out with Athletics shirts. I am rather fond of these faux Athletics Division type shirts, so expect to see others. However, I am not as crazy about this comic or this shirt, so it's perfect for grilling. I don't care if it gets soiled.
Powers is a fine comic by Brian Michael Bendis and Michael Avon Oeming published as part of Marvel Comics' Icon imprint after leaving Image Comics. It was launched in 2000 and has published around 70 issues so far. I bought some of the collected editions and enjoyed the "Who Killed Retro Girl" storyline and some of the other stories. But it's just not one of my most highly rated comic books even though many others love it.
The dinner was very successful. After grilling these round steaks, which do look a little pale, I grilled chicken drumsticks. The grill did well with fewer flare ups than in the past, though as you can see I have the water bottle handy. Also, in this shot (above), you can see the "Official Tower Grilling Table" given to me by my Dad, the Big Guy. There are grilling implements on the table and on the deck below is the box in which I keep them and the corner of a Frisbee that I use to keep them covered and dry. This is only my second time grilling this year. I am not as proficient as my father, but I did manage to grill without burning anything to a crisp.
After dinner and cleaning up, Liesel and I watched Identity (2003) with John Cusak, Ray Liotta, Amanda Peet, and more. It's a good twist on the slasher type film and was a good and relatively short end to the day.
RANDOM THOUGHTS
Closing today with various random thoughts.
A friend of Liesel's brought us yummy pumpkin bread yesterday in exchange for a gift. Piper also made yummy cookies in the middle of the night. Luckily, we are running our bedroom fans on high for plenty of white noise.
I find that I am noticing other people's T-shirts more and more as I am out shopping. On two different occasions yesterday, I was tempted to ask strangers if I could ask them about their T-shirts and maybe take a picture. One kid had a "Sub Rosa" T-shirt. Was this for a game? A brand? Or was it for the concept itself ("under the rose")?
I realized after finishing yesterday's set of lists that I had not provided a list of comics I would recommend and have enjoyed recently. But then, I probably write about comic books too much, and you are all sick of hearing about them. When I was in Fanfare yesterday, I sung the praises of Green Arrow (which I have sung here), Captain America (ditto), and others that I have not praised here or not praised at length, such as Hawkeye, Daredevil, Aquaman, Iron Man, and Thor. The Matt Fraction and Aja Hawkeye is freaking brilliant, especially the most recent "Pizza Dog" story. As a new dog person, I loved that story especially. I also noted to the employees that I was distracting from work with chat that I had just caught up on Detective Comics recently and found it to be much better than I expected.
As of right now, I have T-shirts 108 (today) through #115 (next Sunday) planned and drafted. I am tempted to make a "Coming Soon on 365 T-shirts" list, but since I keep changing my mind (as I did by inserting today's shirt) and I think that the unexpected nature of the blog is better, I will refrain.
But you tell me. I am always whoring myself out for comments and attention.
Previews or no previews?
Another hesitation I have for previews is that I have had an entry in the works for about 20 days, and I keep pushing it back. It's currently scheduled for #114, if I do not push it back again. I have mentioned that it is upcoming twice already if you need further hints as to its identity.
My page views are on the rise. I peaked at near fifty views twice last week. Granted several of these views are blog-rating bots, but still, they are views. I know that most of my readers come from Facebook and Twitter, and yet my top traffic sources are blogsrating, vampirestat.com, and google.
I really want Murray to win Wimbeldon.
I want to see the Tigers sweep the Indians. I am ecstatic that after some recent losing struggles, the Tigers have exploded for 40 runs during the recent five-game winning streak. I hope I did not just jinx them with these hopes.
I just finished reading the first issue of Comic Book Creator magazine with great articles about Jack Kirby (which I have mentioned before), Alex Ross, Kurt Busiek, and an interview with the legendary Dennis O'Neill and Neal Adams. I think I may subscribe.
I want to see the Superman movie. That may have to happen today.
I may grill again today. I had a beer and a mixed bourbon drink yesterday. Today may need to be whisky, single malt, straight. My wife bought me a nifty Robert Burns branded whisky (though a blend) for Father's Day. It is very yummy. I do not discriminate against blends. It is pictured here from the day I chose to sample it for the first time: June 30th, 2013 (two days after I received it).
This is my wish for all of you as well: drink scotch, single-malt whisky.
T-shirt #107: The Daily Planet, Random News, and the Missing Ring
I promise for once this will be short. Or at least shorter. I have gone a little nuts lately, but, hey, time off, vacation, freedom, and thus more writing and time in research. I had some fun.
Yesterday (Friday July 5th), I had a haircut.
Here is a picture of me in the salon (left).
I was just out the door of my home and at the stop light at our nearest major intersection when I discovered that I had left the house without my wedding ring.
Had I not been late to my appointment at the salon, I would have turned around and retrieved my ring. But I did not, so I thought that this would be a cute picture. A thank you to Tim at Ultima Salon for the photo.
I hate being without my wedding ring. I only take it off to shower or wash my hands. But sometimes, I forget to put it back on, such as when I am doing dishes and get called away or when I am in a hurry and leave the house in a rush.
When I am without my wedding ring and I am not absolutely certain where it is, I feel PANIC. I am terrified of losing it. Though it's just a ring, it is a very important ring, and I am sentimental about it. Made of Tungsten, if I am ever seriously injured, I may lose a finger as the ring cannot be cut off. It would be great if I was able to slip it off in the middle of a serious accident. I will work on developing that super power.
Of course, this time, my ring was where I left it on the bathroom counter, and I was much relieved when I returned home and put it back on my finger. Whew!
I was so proud when I got married and had a wedding ring that I swore to never take it off except for bathing or dish washing and such things. I debated as to whether I should wear it playing Ultimate as it is a bit loose when my finger shrinks in the cold, but so far, in almost four years, it has not slipped off. This is the main source of the panic. I have no visible evidence of being married without the ring, which is troublesome in and of itself, and which I never do on purpose, and if I am away from home, I am afraid that it is lost. I have to check to make sure I know where it is, which I cannot do when I have left the house. I also panic a bit when I leave the house without a watch, and at least once a week, I double back to make sure I have shut the garage door.
I already featured my other Daily Planet shirt in T-shirt #42. So, not much today about the actual Daily Planet.
Since the Daily Planet is a "fictional" newspaper (though as Charles Skaggs will tell me it is real and he writes for it), I thought I would close today's entry with some "news" of my own in the form of lists as I know how you all love the lists.
Here are a few random lists of the things kicking around my brain lately: things to recommend and share.
TOP FIVE FAVORITE BLOG ENTRIES Yes, this is completely self-serving and self-indulgent, but here are my top five favorite entries so far on this blog. If you have not read all of these, and if you have tuned in today, this may be a good sample for you. Thanks again for your kindness and your time. Granted, these are my favorites today. This is my own first impression choices of the moment. The list could change tomorrow as it is arbitrary in some respects. I probably could find better choices for numbers three and four, and I am only picking number two because of the video. (Though I am awfully fond of yesterday's T-shirt #106: Captain America.)
If you asked me to name five books I have loved lately and read recently (as in during the last twelve months), here we go:
The Name of the Wind - Patrick Rothfuss
Ready, Player One - Ernest Cline
Red Shirts - John Scalzi
Gun Machine - Warren Ellis
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay - by Michael Chabon
But really, out of this list, Ready, Player One by Ernest Cline is the most amazing. Everyone to whom I have recommended it has loved it, and the audio edition with narration by Wil Wheaton is fantastic! Beware. You will not be able to put it down.
I originally mentioned Ready, Player One in the entry for T-shirt #61, another post that could have made the top five and of which I am enormously proud. (See how I am sneaking in more than a top five in posts?)
MUSIC I HAVE BEEN LISTENING TO LATELY
Again, a quick five items. Just the music that I have been listening to in the last two weeks, and in the case of number one, what I am listening to right now.
Spektrmodule podcasts
At Water's Edge podcasts
Love This Giant - David Byrne and St. Vincent
Out of the Woods Tracey Thorn
Destroyed - Moby
I wrote about Warren Ellis' Spektrmodule in T-shirt #75, another entry in which I take great pride.
The Tracey Thorne album came up in T-shirt #97 and lists of most listened to albums. Of course, Moby being in the above list is proof that often when I choose to write about something, as I did with Moby in T-shirt #99, then I am inspired to listen. I am going to see David Byrne and St. Vincent in two days (on Monday July 8th), so expect more on this subject following that show.
AT WATER'S EDGE, which is a great ambient podcast/ radio show can be found via the following:
T-shirt #106 - Captain America, Jack Kirby, and KUDL costume night
As promised, I present Captain America. If only I could find the shirt, which may be packed away at my parents' house. On today's blog, you will see pictures of me wearing the shirt in 2007 at the Kalamazoo Ultimate Disc League (KUDL) costume night.
The subject of KUDL costume night (which this season will be observed on July 15th) would be enough for an entry, especially with these wacky pictures. However, I am dressed as Captain America (at least with just the shirt), and so today's subject will be devoted to the most patriotic of heroes, though I promise to keep it relatively short as I went a bit nuts with yesterday's entry.
In terms of page length, this one is going to be long, but there's more pictures and links than text.
THE CAPTAIN AMERICA SHIRT
I think I have only worn the Captain America shirt three times: once around the house after I bought it and twice playing Ultimate, once at costume night in 2007.
Dan Lipson and me - KUDL Costume Night 2007
Me with Andrew "Little" Hamilton - KUDL Costume Night 2007
... I have no idea what we're doing...
CAPTAIN AMERICA
I can't really say that Captain America has been one of my favorite heroes or even one of my favorite Marvel heroes. As cool as he is, and though the throwing shield thing is very cool, he would not make my top five in either category. After all, as I have established on this blog already--and will continue to establish--I am quite a bit more fond of those heroes that are not the flagship characters, such as--at Marvel--Silver Surfer, Black Panther, Doctor Strange, Iron Fist, and the Son of Satan.
Though Captain America has not always been a favorite, I have not avoided him; I have read issues of Captain America avidly for most of my life.
My first issue featuring Captain America was Tales of Suspense #96 from December of 1967, featuring an Iron Man story by Stan Lee and Gene Colan (an artist who is in my top five faves of the 1960s), and the Captain America story "To Be Reborn" by Stan Lee and Jack Kirby, in which Steve Rogers is drawn out of retirement and back into uniform as Captain America.
I did not have any Avengers comics before Tales of Suspense #96 came out. My first comic of the Mighty Avengers was #63 from April of 1969. I bought Avengers Special #3, which retold Cap's origin and return to the then present of the Marvel universe and joining the Avengers when it came out in July of 1969.
I might own Captain America #100, the first issue of his own title after the cancellation of Tales of Suspense, but I do not have access to my comics here. (NOTE: Another reason to update the blog someday.) I know I have read the issue in reprint.
My next issue was Captain America #119, after Steranko's short run, and once again a story featuring the awesome GENE COLAN.
Art by John Cassady
Cap gave up his uniform again and fought for justice as Nomad in 1974. I was getting nearly every issue up to Jack Kirby's return to the book after his years at DC Comics starting with issue #193 (January 1976). Though I skipped out in the later 1970s, I read sporadically and started tuning in for every issue when John Byrne took on the title. I loved the mid-1980s run by J.M. DeMatteis and Mike Zeck. Though many fans criticized Mark Gruenwald, I enjoyed his tenure on the book from 1985-1995. He logged the most consecutive issues by any single author in the character's history. Gruenwald epitomized what comics are in essence: a business. It's not easy to create earth-shattering, creatively-rich, and innovative stories monthly for ten years. Gruenwald's stories may not have broken new ground, but he kept the character's story coming month after month for 137 issues. I loved Mark Gruenwald as a writer and a person, as I had the chance to know him during my brief time in the Marvel offices in 1985. Gruenwald died in 1996 of a heart attack at the age of 43.
Mark Waid's run on the book followed Gruenwald, and then there was Rob Liefeld, who did what is known as Captain America Volume 2. Not much to say about that. Waid returned with Ron Garney for Volume Three in 1998, which ran fifty issues with the wrap-up by Dan Jurgens and Bob Layton in 2002. The thirty-two issue run of Volume Four began in June of 2002 with some of the most definitive work on Captain America to date by John Ney Rieber and John Cassady. Though a great creative team like that cannot produce thirty-two issues and Volume Four concludes in 2004 with a team of The Walking Dead's Robert Kirkman and Scot Eaton. This is what comics is all about. It's manufacturing. It's production month after month after month, and few can keep it up like Kirby or Gruenwald.
Art by Sreve Epting
Volume Five began the era many praise today as the character's finest (next to classics by Kirby) with 50 issues by Ed Brubaker and Steve Epting. In this arc, Brubaker introduced the Winter Soldier, Cap's old sidekick Bucky, whom Cap thought had died in their final battle against the Nazis in World War II, but who survived and had been brainwashed and stored cyrogenically, thawed for assassinations when needed. These years also featured the assassination of Captain America with Bucky taking on the role of his departed comrade. In the end, Steve Rogers was not dead and he ultimately returned to the role of Captain America. The sixth volume consisted of nineteen issues; Brubaker continued as the writer, the initial issues were drawn by Steve McNiven and later by Alan Davis, Patrick Zircher, and others.
There are tons of great stories in these volumes, but I want to focus on Jack Kirby's legacy and on the recent set of issues (Volume Seven), which is an extended love letter to Jack Kirby and his ingenious contributions to the saga of his first and greatest creation:
Captain America (though credit must be given to co-creator Joe Simon, also).
From the Bicentennial issue? I will include this
in full size at the end.
JACK KIRBY'S RETURN TO CAPTAIN AMERICA
I have created a category for Jack Kirby in the blog because he is the master and a subject I plan to return to over and over again.
Two of the first comics I ever owned were drawn by Jack Kirby: Tales of Suspense #96 and Fantastic Four #69 (both published in December of 1967). I became an avid Jack Kirby fan from those very earliest days. I read Jack Kirby Fantastic Four, I read Jack Kirby Thor, I read Jack Kirby Captain America, and the Uncanny X-Men, and the Avengers, etc.
When Kirby left Marvel in 1971, I started reading his DC Comics, such as OMAC (which recently had a Kirby love letter of its own), The New Gods, Mister Miracle, Kamandi, and the most awesome Superman's Pal Jimmy Olsen.
When Kirby returned to Marvel, I was in full comic-buying mode and spent my money faithfully on Captain America, The Black Panther (a Kirby themed shirt will be featured in the near future in this blog), 2001: A Space Odyssey, Machine Man, Devil Dinosaur, and my personal favorite--one of my all-time most favorite comic books: The Eternals.
Kirby's late 1970s Marvel period began in January 1976 with Captain America #193 - "The Madbomb, Screamer in the Brain." I have featured art from this first and other issues later in today's blog entry. The Eternals debuted in July of 1976, and Kirby's The Black Panther started in January of 1977, by which time Kirby was cranking out 60-80 pages of art per month, including covers and maintaining (as writer, artist, and editor) four ongoing, regular titles. To use "Marvel-esque" words, this kind of output is ASTOUNDING and ASTONISHING, even UNCANNY and FANTASTIC!
This is the most fertile and amazingly creative period of Jack Kirby's career in comics. Though many "comic fans" criticize this period (some feel Kirby cannot write realistic-sounding dialogue), most comic book fans and readers will be quick to agree that this period is one of the most rich and innovative in Marvel Comics history.
LINKS ABOUT JACK KIRBY
I own a nifty coffee table style book by Mark Evanier on Kirby called Kirby: King of Comics, which won the Eisner for best comic related boom in 2009.
Author of the blog at the next link, Scott Edelman worked at Marvel Comics in the 1970s during the time Kirby returned after his years at DC. Kirby was abused by the staffers during that time, and things got so bad that Stan Lee had to intercede. These anecdotes are explained in the "You Can't Go Home Again" article
linked above.
Years later, Edelman is taking more cheap shots at Kirby by criticizing this panel from Captain America #207.
Not that I consider Kirby some saint but is this kind of criticism really necessary? Seems to me that Edelman has an axe to grind and is pulling out some obscure and forgotten panel to make the point that Jack Kirby needed Stan Lee, even though many agree that Jack's solo work is some of the most brilliant comic book work ever created. Granted his dialogue, external, or internal as seen here, is often stilted, but Kirby was not trying for "realism," which is often what comics strive for anyway (lack of realism), especially in the late 1970s. I say, shame on you, Scott Edelman.
The current run of Captain America is part of the Marvel Now line issues #1 (January 2013) through issue #8 (August 2013) with one issue (#9) left in the story, which is being called "Captain America in Dimension Z." (Note dates are two months in advance as per the norm in comics.)
Written by Rick Remender
Pencils by John Romita Jr.
Inks by Klaus Janson
Colors by Dean White
SPOILER ALERT! Do not read on if you want to avoid spoilers.
This current run of Captain America comics is truly brilliant. Remender and Romita JR with Janson and Knight have synthesized what makes Kirby so great and given it all a modern look.
Like the 1970s Kirby issues, Remender chops Cap out of the current continuity, placing him in "Dimension Z," which is run by his old foe (and a Kirby creation) Arnim Zola. Cap spends TWELVE YEARS (yeah, not sure how Remender plans to deal with this plot element but he has claimed that Cap will be "forever changed" by this story line) in Dimension Z, avoiding Zola and raising Ian, a clone of Zola, who he rescued from Zola's headquarters.
Flashbacks to the childhood of Steve Rogers provide further (and new) back story for the character as present day Cap fights through the horrors of Zola's nightmare dimension with all sorts of Kirby-esque tropes, such as the costuming of Zola's daughter Jet Black, the kindly Phrox with whom Cap and Ian take refuge, and the growing Zola virus embedded in his chest (as revealed at the end of issue #3).
Issue #4 begins with a page that reads simply: "ELEVEN YEARS LATER," and at the end issue #5, after Ian has been taken by Jet Black, to be returned to Zola, Cap cuts out of his chest this growing techno-organic presence before he sets out to get his son back.
The reviews and articles do a good job explaining why Captain America Volume Seven is so great. Check them out as well as the Marvel AR videos.
I always had trouble with the Marvel Augmented Reality, so I finally deleted the APPs from my phone and tablet, but I was very disappointed because I wanted to access this content. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that Marvel is posting the AR videos to You Tube. How much do I love social media? A LOT.
Here's three videos from the AR app: two with artist John Romita Jr and one with writer Rick Remender about recent issues of the Captain America series.
Captain America #7: Rick Remender - Marvel AR
Captain America #7: John Romita JR talks - Marvel AR
Captain America #5 - John Romita Jr. - Marvel AR
CAPTAIN AMERICA
I must give a nod to the recent movie Captain America: First Avenger (2011), which I thought was quite good and far superior to the two CBS live action films from 1979. (SIDE NOTE: The first Cap TV movie premiered on my birthday in 1979, which I thought was quite a treat until I watched it.)
As a fan of the Winter Soldier story in the comics, I am quite excited about the next film Captain America: the Winter Soldier (2014), especially because Robert Redford has been cast.
Captain America By Jack Kirby
An art gallery of various images from Kirby's 1970s work on Captain America. The blog closes with a Captain America painting by Alex Ross.
From the Bicentennial issue?
Captain America #197 - pg. 10
Captain America # 199 pg.2
Captain America 193 - 02
Captain America 193 - 03
Captain America 199 - 04
Captain America 196 - 05
Captain America 208
Captain America 214
Captain America Bicentennial?
Some of my favorite (though not all)
of my Kirby Captain America covers follow.
art by Alex Ross
Okay, this entry took way longer than I had planned. If you actually made it to this point, THANK YOU!
T-shirt #105 - Ultimate Spider-Man or "Maybe dat's your pwobwem, too."
Expecting Captain America?
It occurred to me that Captain America may have been a better choice for the blog post for July 4th.
I could have switched gears, as I may feature Cap soon (ahem, tomorrow!). But I already had much of this entry written, AND I wanted to share my first EVER YOU TUBE video. So there, you have it. My convoluted reasoning.
Today, I am featuring my first Spider-Man T-shirt on the blog. Along with Batman and Superman, Spider-Man was one of my first and favourite childhood heroes, especially since ABC ran a Spider-Man animated series from 1967 to 1970 at the beginning of my years as a comic book reader; ASIDE: my comic reading began when I was given my first comic (an issue of Detective Comics) in 1966. A live action Spider-Man series also followed in 1977 on CBS.
The first Spider-Man comic I owned was Amazing Spider-Man #54, published in November of 1967.
I have read ASM#54 many times. I cannot say it is my favorite Spider-Man comic, but it is the one I have probably read most often and as such Doctor Octopus is the Spider-Man villain with the most resonance for me. And so, as such, the current story line in the Spider-Man comics in which Doctor Octopus has taken over Peter Parker and Spider-Man's life--Peter is essentially dead--is fascinating to me.
I posed for the picture with today's shirt and the CD set of archived Spider-Man comics to emphasize that like Batman, Superman, Aquaman, The Fantastic Four, the Hulk, Thor, and several others from my first days in comics, Spider-Man has been a part of my life for over 40 years.
ROMANCING THE SPIDER: This issue, ASM#54, was my first experience with John Romita, Senior's art. As I wrote in T-shirt #83, John Romita is one of my top-five favorite 1960s artists. Romita had a great deal of experience drawing romance comics in the 1950s and early 1960s. The issues he drew of Amazing Spider-Man were styled in many ways like romance comics, especially in the depiction of Peter Parker and Gwen Stacy's relationship. I attribute Romita's romance-themed work as part of what sparked in me an affection for melodrama and soap opera.
From ASM #59
Romita's realistic style stood out among the many more fantastic or surreal comic artists of his time. His pencils were tight and sharp, unlike many others. His training in romance comics blended swipes from movie stills, which fueled the realism of his art, and from newspaper strips, such as Milton Canniff's Terry and the Pirates.
NO GWEN STACY: Though I liked the first three Spider-Man movies (2002-2007) with Tobey Magurie (I liked some more than others), I found it a bit odd that Peter's relationship with Mary Jane Watson took center stage and was characterized as the great love of his life rather than emphasizing his relationship with Gwen Stacy, which in the comics played out as the greatest love of his life and his greatest tragedy, at least until Mary Jane learned he was Spider-Man and they got married.
In the films. the central focus of Mary Jane Watson in Peter's life followed more closely the rebooted origin and early years established by the Ultimate Comics line and with Brian Michael Bendis' definitive Ultimate Spider-Man, which ran for 109 issues from the year 2000 through 2009. Though I like Kirsten Dunst as an actress, and though she did a fine job in the films, I did not feel that she was right for Mary Jane Watson, either as seen in the original Romita pencilled classic issues in the 1960s and 1970s or in the new Ultimate Spider-Man by Bendis and Mark Bagley.
The T-shirt for today depicts the version of Spider-Man from Ultimate Spider-Man.
I felt it was a mistake to feature Mary Jane in the first ever Spider-Man movies as Peter's greatest love, and so, I was much relieved and pleased to see the new film (released in 2012) establish Gwen Stacy as Peter's romantic interest. Emma Stone seems aptly cast as Gwen Stacy, and I did not mind the re-conceiving of her character as Curt Connors' assistant in the labs at Oscorp. Though this is a huge departure from the classic version of the character, it is a welcome update to bring the young woman into the 21st century and give her a brain. Though beautiful and loving, the classic version was really much like the main characters of romance comics with few characteristics other than her romantic interest in the leading man and lots of crying.
From ASM #66
I borrowed these images from a neat blog called The Spider-Man Journal, in which Sean Wilson charts the important events of Spider-Man's life as depicted in the classic issues by Stan Lee and John Romita, which he argues are the best and that the current incarnation (as of 2012) cannot live up to the Lee-Romita years.
From ASM #42
from ASM #43
MARY JANE IS COOL: Do not misunderstand. I really like Mary Jane Watson. I am not a Mary Jane hater. In fact, some of my favorite comics in recent years include an ongoing set of titles titled variations of Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane.
The original "party girl" with the classic line of "face it, Tiger. You just hit the jackpot" is dear to my heart, not just for the great Romita art of MJ's introduction, but for the Sixties flair and style of the character, who later became Peter Parker's best friend and wife before the JMS run ended and Peter Parker's history was altered and re-booted.
As much as I love the original Mary Jane from the main Marvel universe, I probably have a greater fondness for the Mary Jane character from the Ultimate Spider-Man series, who is much more intelligent, thoughtful, and bookish than the actress/model/party girl of the originally introduced Mary Jane character who debuted in Amazing Spider-Man #42.
Ultimate Spider-Man #13
This is another puzzler about the casting and choices of the Raimi Spider-Man films. Though Liz Allen is Peter Parker's first "romantic interest (dating back to the origin story and page one: Amazing Fantasy #15), J.Jonah Jameson's secretary Betty Brant is Peter's first "girlfriend." And though Mary Jane debuts in ASM #25 with her face covered, her actual (and famous) introduction comes in ASM #42, which is after Gwen Stacy's introduction in ASM #31.
Check out one of the sites I list below as one author catalogued all of Peter's love interests, including the Black Cat, Debra Whitman, Glory Grant, Gwen Stacy's cousin Jill, Michelle Gonzales, Carlie Cooper, and even Cissy Ironwood, featured in issues of Marvel Team Up.
Though I love Mary Jane, and I really liked seeing Peter marry her, I still feel the movies should have followed the original comic book chronology rather than some inaccurate pastiche of original material and the Ultimate stories. So far, the new set of movies seem more promising as MJ will not appear at all in the next film: The Amazing Spider-Man 2.
INTERNET SPIDER RESOURCES
There are many wonderful Internet sites dedicated to Spider-Man and his cast of characters with commentary and/or fan appreciation, such as this one dedicated to Peter Parker's many loves (via Comic Book Resources):
I cannot sign off of today's Spider-Man festival without giving a shout out to the current Ultimate Spider-Man comic, in which Spidey has been re-envisioned as a young, African-American boy named Miles Morales. I am not such a purist that I cannot enjoy a good re-imagining, and this book is not just good, it's FABULOUS (see cover pics above)!
MJ may be cool, but Gwen was a classic 1960s chick...
From Amazing Spider-Man #47
WEEKLY COMIC BOOK STACK
As I began two weeks ago, I continue my weekly comic book stack feature. These are the ranked comics.
GREEN ARROW: I do read the deep stacks. I caught up on Green Arrow, and I love the new creative team and the book's direction, so this jumps to the top of the stack.
DC: Yes, nearly all the deep stack comics are DC comics. But I do have DC comics each week ranked highly if not number one, so I don't think I can be called a "Marvel Zombie."
COMICS FOR JULY 3rd 2013
Green Arrow #22
Iron Man #12
Avengers A.1 #001
Avengers #15 (Prelude to Infinity)
Daredevil: Dark Knights #2
Thunderbolts #12
Ten Grand #3
Sattelite Sam #1
DEEP STACK (the list of comics that are added to other unread issues in the series awaiting the time when I "catch up." Some of the catching up stretches back over ten years. Batman Incorporated #12, Detective Comics #22, Earth 2 #14, Fairest #17, Green Lantern #22, Action Comics #22, Uber #3.
EXTRA BUY:Avengers: Season One (hardcover)
THE SPIDER-MAN POEM
From 1993-2001, I participated in the Creative Writers in the Schools program. CWIS was a grant funded Michigan arts program in which schools brought in creative writers for one or two week residencies. On average, I would visit 3-4 schools a year in April, May, and June.
At each school, I performed what I called "The Spider-Man poem" but what is really a poem called "Maybe Dats your Pwobwem, too" by Jim Hall. I am sharing both the text of the poem (from the mini-comic I made to give to students, which is why I am called "your writer pal") and my FIRST EVER YOU TUBE video. I thought I had video of myself performing the poem in one of my final women's studies classes in 2008, but I cannot seem to find it. I recreated it here in the video, wearing today's shirt, for your edification and amusement.
(And, yes, you may note that I have a bleach stain on my Ultimate Spider-Man shirt. Sadness.)
"MAYBE DATS YOUR PWOBWEM TOO" --The Spider-Man poem BY JIM HALL --As performed and made famous by your writer pal Chris Tower All my pwobwems who knows? Maybe evewybody’s pwobwems is due to duh fact due to duh awful twuth dat I am Spider-Man. I know, I know. All da dumb jokes. No flies on you. Or duh one about what I do wit awl dose extwa legs in bed. Well, dat’s funny, yeah. But you twy bein Spider-Man for a month or two. Go ahead. You git dose cwazy calls from duh gubbener asking you to twap sum buwgewar whose only twyin to wip off color TV sets. Now, what do I care ‘bout color TV sets? But I pull on duh suit dah stinkin’ suit wit duh suckkah cups on dah fingas an den get my wopes an wittle bundle of equipment. And den I go fwying like cwazy acwoss duh town from wooftop to wooftop ‘til der he is sum poor dumb color TV slob and I fall on him and we westle a widdle until I get him all woped. So big deal? You tink when you Spider-Man sumtin big gonna happen to you. Well, it don’t happen dat way. Nuttin happens. Gubbener calls. I go. Bring him to Polwice. Gubbener calls again. Like dat. Over and Over. Sometimes I tink I twy sumetin diffunt sumetin excitin’ like wacing caws. Sumetin’ to make my heart beat at a diffunt wate. But den, you can’t quit bein’ sumetin’ like Spider-Man. You Spider-Man fo’ life. Fowever. I can’t even buin by suit. It woin’t buin. It’s fwame wesistant! So maybe dat’s your pwobwem, too. So maybe dat’s duh whole pwobwen wit everyting. Nobody can buin dey suits. Dey all fwame wesistant. Who knows?
