Joe Kubert - Another Legend Passes

The advert was in a copy of Wizard Magazine my mother bought for me at the grocery store. It popped off the page and declared to me the magical Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Graphic Art. Suddenly a boy who had been given countless sketchbooks and nearly filled them all had a target, a goal point on the horizon. I aimed to attend that marvellous school.

Things change, sadly, naturally, and I forgot about the desire kindled in the me of my childhood to attend Kubert's school. I never forgot the raw energy of the illustrations accompanying that ad, though. They remain vibrant in my mind's eye.

I was saddened at the news I discovered when I opened my email this morning around 3:00am. It said that Joe Kubert had passed away. The words were there as bold and as powerful as the man's inking, which I've greatly admired ever since I first saw it in Wizard. Another great image-smith from the good old days of comics has left us and a massive void in the industry.

Joe Kubert will be missed and will continue to be admired many, many years from now. I'm thankful to have had the opportunity to behold the man's stunning and powerful artwork. I'm thankful to have seen that ad so long ago and, later in my life, to have beheld his short piece in the first volume of Batman: Black and White. I'll not forget his character Tor. I'll always remember and appreciate his texts on drawing and his desire to teach those who longed to better themselves as artists. He was without a doubt one of the greats, truly.

Thank you for everything, Mr. Kubert. Rest well.

The X-Files - I Believe - Part 1

The title from the opening credits of The X-Files.

It has been a little over a decade since the hit Fox television series The X-Files left the air. After nine seasons and two films, the latest being released in 2008, fans still shout out their desire for more. They, like the series' main character Fox Mulder, still want to believe.

The show hit in the early 1990s and forever changed television. Drawing from inspirational sources of paranormal TV wonder like Darren McGavin's Kolchak: The Nightstalker and David Lynch's Twin Peaks, The X-Files went where no show had gone before. It was a television series in which FBI procedures and crime scene investigations were conducted in a seemingly mundane foreground while sinister, or sometimes not so sinister, supernatural elements thrived in the surrounding shadows. It was atmospheric, engaging, and accommodating to those who embraced the popular trend of 1990s paranoia.

McGavin, depicted here, starred as the sometimes frantic, open-minded reporter Carl Kolchak. Alliteration again marks the hero, I suppose.

Over the next few days and weeks I intend to revisit and comment on the many aspects of this series. It is a show which has greatly entertained me since my childhood and has served to introduce me to ways of thinking which have allowed me to consider the universe in which we all live in exciting and vastly different from normal ways. Through these posts I'll address the production of the series, the cast and crew, the X-Files' affect on culture, and my favourite episodes and moments from the show's long and healthy run.

Stick with me as I travel back to the mid-90s and move forward to explore that marvellous television program that was The X-Files. Please feel free to leave your comments, questions, and any suggestions on the blog post's comment section. I look forward to sharing my X-Files-centric writings with you. 

Also, I no longer seek what Fox Mulder sought for through his adventures I found something meaningful. His tagline, the one which followed him throughout the run and made for an incredibly popular poster, was "I want to believe." After reflecting on The X-Files and making the decision to compose these posts I've decided that instead of wanting to believe or seeking belief I can confidently say, concerning The X-Files, that I believe.

It's that point in the Ante Meridiem...

There's that moment when you're at the local grocer and find yourself wandering the aisles in search of something that may or may not contribute to the heightening of the quality of the evening. You find yourself in the wine section, the vintner's unofficial department of finery, trying on your fancy, your Fitzgerald, your monsieurs or madames, but then you say fuck it and submit to your basest self choosing the Hemingway, then sprinting through the checkout to your seemingly impatient automobile which points in a foreshadowing manner towards that seemingly blissful direction. 

It's at home where you fine the implement which has graced your life with the most splendour, the cork screw. After you employ it, attempting severe efficiency, you dive headlong into a hopefully endless, progressing series of blurred conscious moment after blurred conscious moment until you're there. The invisible door stands before you, your demanding hands find it and eagerly forces its portal. You're in. You're sotted. You're fucking drunk. Célébrer, ma soeur ou mon frère!

Now I write to your from the other side, from the soggy side, blurred out of hope of recovery until sleep carries me back to the bounds of reasonable safety. I've twisted the cork, turned the screw, and writ here a shameful admission of non-sobriety. To bed I turn in hopes now of ridding myself of the shame of the journey. Sober and rested may I be at the waking. Until then, away the spirit of spirits, the reek of winebibbery, and the drunken displacement of judgements.

Star Trek: The Next Generation - BluRay...the New Frontier

 

It had been a few weeks since I first saw the local theatre's advertisement announcing the July 23, Star Trek: The Next Generation (ST:TNG from here on out) special event. When I saw the poster I first lost control of my lower jaw and then turned to my wife to share my combined shock and overly expressed joy. She accepted my weirdness and we went on with viewing some forgettable film. Then came today, Monday, July 23.

Logging in to the local theatre's website out of general curiosity I was reminded of the event I swore I would not miss. Lucky for me that I thought to look for otherwise I would have drastically let myself down. So I purchased the tickets online, knowing that I wasn't going to live with missing this, and then I prepared myself for the coming blessed event. This involved digging out my ST:TNG wearables, like my communicator badge, sans batteries for courtesy sake, and readying my mind for maximum information absorption so that I could come back and write this (ta-dah!).

The theatre itself was fairly full but not sold out. A few fans stood just outside holding a sign to attract members of their party, both of them wearing Classic Trek shirts. As I walked in I was marvellously assaulted by the booming of the Alexander Courage/Jerry Goldsmith theme and I beheld a massive screen full of Trek trivia. The questions were very well thought out (surely in some way their creation involved Michael and Denise Okuda). I was incredibly excited to see that there was even a multiple choice question which asked about the character Q but snuck in a reference to Trelane (a Q-like alien from Classic Trek, The Squire of Gothos) as one of the options. I found myself answering them with ease and excitement as the minutes counted down to start time. 

The fist thing we saw was a commercial of sorts for the July 24 release of ST:TNG on BluRay. This was the reason behind the event and something I grew more and more excited about as the evening went on (I don't own a BluRay player and am therefore not currently as interested as I would be if I did). Following this was a roughly ten minute look at CBS Digital's restoration of the series. The first episode, beginning with an introduction by the Okudas, was Where No One Has Gone Before, and then it was on to a ten to fifteen minute documentary about the origin of ST:TNG (titled Stardate Revisited: The Origin of ST:TNG). The night ended with the last episode (also introduced by the Okudas), Datalore, and then a preview of what we had to look forward to in the Season 2 BluRay set, including a cast reunion special feature that makes me want to run out and buy a BluRay player!

 

Regarding the restoration, the folks at CBS Digital skillfully took the well assembled filmed composites from back in the late 80s and brought them to a wondrous 1080p clarity. Everything that the original crew filmed was faithfully used and made to look more pristine than ever before. The special effects which weren't originally filmed but instead applied in post-production were reworked by teams who again remained true to the originals and enhanced them in such a way that would make George Lucas blush (more on this later). The two episodes screened were meant to show off some of these new and fabulous effects and CG updates. The effects of the Traveler's advanced Warp were stunning and yet completely familiar. The crystalline entity from Datalore was gorgeous and fully faithful to the original 3D model. As far as sound, they updated the audio from Lt/Rt to 7.1 surround sound. Basically, they took what was already impressive for its time and made it look and sound like, as Marina Sirtis put it, it was shot yesterday. Cheers to them and to whoever picks up the BluRay set. Those lucky nerds are in for a treat!

 

Now, to touch a little bit on my feelings towards the restoration and update as it compares to what George Lucas did to his Star Wars films. CBS Digital could have taught Lucas a thing or two when it came to fidelity and the true meaning of restoration. They didn't take away, replace, or add anything. They cleaned up the film, enhanced the details which were practically nonexistent thanks to Standard Definition, and they managed not to insert anything too distracting to detract from the enjoyment of the episodes. Now, we've seen what Mr. Lucas has done, and granted those are his movies, but what he claimed to do from the beginning versus what he actually did were two different things. Apparently the Star Trek people care more about the content and the fans than those who hold the leash for Star Wars. That's all I'm saying. 

It was a night to remember and I intend to remember it for the rest of my life, or at least until they find a new medium to which they can convert this loveable series and then create another wonderful event like this to promote it. This was also a night that reminded me of how much I love Star Trek, how much the cast and their creation means to me and has meant to me since I was a little boy, and how great the fans can be when they're all assembled to beam their love at the titanic wonder that is Star Trek. Being there amidst all the laughter and applause as I shared in a fan-love moment with my peers was almost overwhelming. Thanks to CBS and everyone else involved for the wonderful evening. Make sure to buy the BluRay, fellow nerds! You really, really won't regret it.

Oaths By A Dark Fire - Short Story

Sitting by a radiant, twirling jumble of orange tongues of flame, in an otherwise aphotic cathedral of a room, two men stared off into nothing. The silence between them, broken occasionally by a popping of wood from a somber, marble fireplace, was as thick as a pall laid across the coffins of a past that very much defined them. These men, one further in years and experience than the other, held themselves in a settled pose in their high backed chairs of dark oak and muted, aged upholstery. The younger stared with eyes cold, yet severe, into the depths of the raging fire, and clasped his hands tightly, causing his tensed knuckles to pale to a near ivory.

"I can't tell you how many times I've played this scene in my mind. Through the long flights, the aimless wanderings across parts of the world I had only read about till late, and the countless days stowed away in various ships which never seemed to reach their ports of call. I felt that of all people you would maybe understand my purpose, my asking this of you," with this the youth raised his gaze from the intense dancing light which softly highlighted his rough, handsome visage, "or perhaps, at least, give me your advice."

The older man continued his stare into the fireplace, his right leg crossed casually over his left knee. He cleared his throat as if to reinvigorate his long silent voice. "I can't pretend to know what has driven you to this decision. I'm an old man, sir, and I've learned other ways of coping with loss. Though, that doesn't mean that some dark place inside me isn't overjoyed at the prospect. I've been with you and seen you through the very worst of times a man might experience. A boy might experience."

At this the men cautiously locked eyes and fell back together, in their minds, to an earlier, darker day. The bereavement they shared at the merciless pangs of unfortunate tragedy brutally marked an end to a young boy's family, his life, planting the grim seeds of a darkly purposed future, and it set to beginning a new chapter for a man who had been searching for something in his once roaming youth and found it in the position of surrogate father, protector, and friend. The bond between them was intensely powerful, so much so that each of them understood the importance of the request and the only, inevitable answer for which the requester was searching.

The aged man sat up tall in his chair, both feet planted on the floor now, hands gripping the armrests, "There are many dangers along this path, and if what you've told me is true, and trust me when I say that I find no reason to doubt you, then you hardly need my advice, sir. It sounds as though you need the support of a friend, of family. I will aid you, to the best of my humble abilities, in this pursuit."

The stern, yet expectant face of the man who had received the response he had hoped for seemed to lighten for the first time since either of them could remember. "You may not think it, but your support means everything to me. I won't let you down in this. I won't let anyone down in this. It's our duty, and my responsibility as a son, to see this through." The youth leaned forward in his seat, hands clasped tighter, his brow lowered, "I'm ready for this, Alfred. I've never been more ready."

Dark Knight Rises - A Review

**Perhaps a few SPOILERS**

There was no midnight show for me this time around. No panting and huffing about how great the experience will be whilst frantically counting down the minutes till the late night drive to the theatre to catch the "first glimpse" of a long-awaited fan dream made celluloid. Instead, my wife and I took the more intelligent approach to seeing the new Batman film by waiting until Saturday afternoon. We were able to avoid lines, obnoxious hyper-fans, and poor seating. There's no better way to experience a film like this, I believe, but that's hardly why I'm writing and you're reading this.

Dark Knight Rises is the end of a journey. It means an end for Christopher Nolan, the cast and crew under his lead, the fans of Batman both new and old, and for me. Since I first saw Batman Begins in theatres up till this afternoon I've been giddy about the progression of the artful adaptation of the legendary, four-color, fear-wielding caped crusader. I've bought magazines so that I could see the production images. I've revisited favourite comic book storylines to play the pointless guessing game of the overly hopeful fanboy. I was completely destroyed and reassembled by the majesty of Dark Knight. Then came this afternoon when I beheld the proper, fantastically crafted ending to one of the best film trilogies of all time.

Christopher Nolan has time and again proven himself to be highly adept at finding the soul of a story and its characters and skillfully crafting a form for such an ethereal and elusive thing to inhabit. I believe he did this exceptionally well throughout his Batman trilogy. He masterfully gave us a clear beginning, middle, and end with a stellar story progression which continues to boggle the mind. He, as my wife pointed out, understood the archetypes at the heart of this modern myth and employed them to exceptional effect. It is necessary to respect him for his contribution to the genre of comic book film and to also respect him for knowing when and how to end his involvement.

Considering the film, it is a near-three hour ride starting with an extensive chunk of build-up which crescendos in a fantastically worthwhile pay-off. Playing with the tatters left in the wake of Dark Knight, this film is set in a Gotham a few years after the creation of the lie that was the passing of the "White Knight," Harvey Dent, and the beginning of the vilification of "The Batman." It's a Gotham doomed from the start of this tale because it is, at its core, a lie. That doom approaches quickly in the form of one who seeks to fulfil the aims of a long-dead idealist, enemy, and, to Bruce Wayne, a mentor. The avatar of the seemingly deceased dreams of the late Ra's Al Ghul wears the shape of the mighty Bane who cleverly sets up the pieces for a deadly endgame. It is a game Bruce Wayne, who has, since the end of Dark Knight, lived the life of a recluse with his faithful, father-like Alfred, thinks he is able to play. We see that as in many hero's tales there is still much that Bruce/Batman must do to truly be prepared for confronting the villains and saving his city.

 

Throughout the film we're introduced to many new characters, especially during the lengthy beginning. Each of them plays a fantastic part in the overall story, and each of them enriches this all-important final act. The ominous mercenary and terrorist Bane is a bizarre villain through which Nolan, executing the magic trick that is his cinematic style, sets up the greater end story. He's a leader with and for a purpose but he is ultimately a tool. Then there's John Blake, a "hot head" rookie cop who strongly believes in his badge but later learns, with the aid of the seasoned advice of Jim Gordon, that there's something greater to serving a purpose beyond the shackles of the rules. One of the greater surprises in this film comes from Blake, and I'm proud to say that I called it in two different ways which come together to be something far more interesting. Miranda Tate, a new face in the high-class arena of Gotham City, is also a new character and one which, believe it or not, has a thing or two up her sleeve. Another new character worth noting is Selina Kyle, a skilled and determined cat burglar who plays to her advantage through the world of men while remaining an independent, mostly self-serving woman.

Though we are forced to wade through over an hour of new information, introductions, updates, and piece-setting (all of it essential to the complete movie), the last act makes me proud to be a Batman fan. Overall Dark Knight Rises is a detailed study of the hero and the power of symbols. At the end we are shown a heroic figure who has grown over the course of the trilogy and reinforced his growth through the events of this final portion of his story. He has been tested, he is stronger than before, and he has completed a quest through which he discovered what was necessary to best the challenge of the newest obstacle in his life. After all is done we are given a view of a future for his city, for Gotham, that is built on a symbol similar to that of Dent, but this time it is a symbol with substance and great truth. In the end we're overwhelmed by a phoenix of hope which has broken the bonds of its ash heap. In the end we're given a forward-looking Gotham which was saved by the hero it deserved. 

I give Dark Knight Rises five out of five. Thank you for reading.

History and Myth

You can follow the trail of bones throughout history and study the messages of ruins, but to know the true soul of a people you need their myths. To discount the validity of myth is to embrace ignorance and, as a historian, to admit satisfaction with partial knowledge. If we are to be true students of the past and if we are to record the old happenings and their relationships we need to also address the tales told and the beliefs held. Those are no less valuable than names and dates, causes and effects.