Why comic books are NOT just for kids...

This blog post is also for all the idiots in the world who think comic books are for kids.

Ok, that may have been harsh, but I needed to get your attention without you immediately discarding this post. You see, I’ve recently been engaging more than ever in a debate regarding the merits and quality of comic books as fiction. I finally decided it was time to explain to the world why I justify comic books as literature and how, unbeknownst to many, comic books can be completely centered on themes more adult-oriented and in-depth than your average best-selling novel.

Here’s a little backstory as to where this post is coming from. Basically, these are the types of comments I’ve heard all my life regarding my passion for comic books and graphic novels (as a now-22 year old):

-“Yeah…yeah comic books were cool…when I was SEVEN!”
-“Hey when you’re done reading your comics, come over and we’ll play POGS!”
-“I’m ignorant and think I know everything about everything and you’re a moron for liking things that may be enjoyed by someone who isn’t a grown and ignorant adult like me!”

Yes, I know, the last one is an example of what runs through my head after I hear the first two. But you get the picture. The point is that people don’t always have an intellectual respect for comics, and I think two major elements exist to make said lack of respect a reality.

The first of these major elements is that some people don’t understand the content and substance of today’s comic literature. These individuals have no clue as to the intellectual depth and gravity of a well-written series of comic book. The extent of their comic book awareness is the “BAM!...POW!” 60s Batman show, the original “X-Men” animated series, and the Spider-Man movies. Sadly, only one of those three things listed does any kind of justice to its comic book counterpart. Good work X-Men.

The second element is going to be covered in part 2 of this blog post, which will be posted very, very soon (UPDATE: It has now been posted here...but finish reading this one first). It considers the frivolous notion that enjoying comic books isn’t appropriate for an individual over the age of seven and incorporates sage wisdom from an unlikely source to refute this idea of what is or is not appropriate for a 22-year-old.

But we’re going to focus on the content of comics right now. All of the stuff that the casual/non-comic book fan doesn’t ever see because he or she would “never be a big enough baby to pick up a comic book and read it.”

Point blank: If you are one of those people, you are ignorant and you are missing out on something quite enjoyable as a result of your ignorance.

A literary (comic book) masterpiece…

The inspiration behind this post was a discussion regarding the literary achievements of and accolades received by Alan Moore’s Watchmen. Here you have a novel that is the only graphic novel (comic book collection) on Time Magazine’s "100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present" (long title, I know) and the only graphic novel to win a Hugo Award. These aren’t comic book awards. These are awards and distinctions that truly separate the graphic novel from Archie Comics and Sunday funnies as a literary work of fiction.

The themes of Watchmen are intense. The graphic novel covers quite a few of the issues we face (or faced) as humans in the world, ranging from an entire underlying theme of the nation’s distrust and fear as a result of the Cold War to death, murder, justice (legal and vigilante), rape, love, governmental conspiracy, heroism, and the value of human life. And that’s in a 12-issue comic series.

Watchmen isn’t a story about a bunch guys in capes conquering “evil-doers” with one-punch knockouts or masked men catching bank robbers and saving the day. While it has a few similar elements, Watchmen is written in a style that, if one were to replace the comic book illustration with explanatory dialogue, would be considered a captivating work of literary fiction. Let’s be honest, it didn’t make Time’s previously-noted “100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present” list because of the pictures (which is not to say that Dave Gibbons’ artwork doesn’t bring the graphic novel into the pantheon of great comic book masterpieces, because it surely does).

If you feel like comic books aren’t for adults, please give Watchmen a valid reading attempt. I promise: if you are even remotely intelligent, it will change your stance on the issue.

Even so, I can’t rely on this one graphic novel to prove my point. Which is why I’ll take a much more current cultural phenomenon and let it speak for me.

The Dark Knight’s darkness in comic form…

The Dark Knight is already widely considered to be the best superhero movie ever made. Many attribute much of this success to Heath Ledger’s chilling portrayal of a conscious-absent Joker that deviates mightily from the clown-like prankster featured in the 60s television series and the original Batman film (skip to the commercial at 1:12).

But, I ask you this: do you have any idea where the inspiration behind Heath Ledger’s Joker came from? The motivation behind Heath Ledger’s Joker came from COMIC BOOKS. That’s right – the terrifyingly careless man who values human life less than he values his mouth-shredding pocket knife is based on the comic books that portray the Joker as a psychopath who fears nothing.

We’re talking about a Joker that (most non-comic book fans would be appalled to know) beat the second Robin to death right in front of his mother’s eyes…and then BLEW THEM BOTH UP! Here, see the vicious assault for yourself:



And then...




Yeah. Joker beats him down and lets him die. Because, in the comics (before The Dark Knight was even a in its beginning stages), the Joker was that brutal.

Fortunately (and unrealistically), Jason Todd turned up alive years later. Only to be doing things like this (this one is rather graphic, be warned):



Still think comics are simply for little kids?

The Point?

I didn’t write this post to show you some grisly comic book pictures. I wrote it to explain that comic books aren’t just for kids. It’s not only sticky-fingered 7-year-olds that can and should enjoy comic books and graphic novels. I'm in no way saying it's the violence that makes them good, I'm just showing that they aren't as fun-natured, bubbly, and cartoony as some might think.

Comic books employ as many deeply-themed fictional storylines as full-length works of fiction. While the art and pictures in comics help to tell the tale in the place of flowery description, the content and message of the comic’s themes are often much deeper than the stereotypical thoughts people have of them.

Do bad, corny, and otherwise awful comics exist in the world? Of course – just like cheesy romance novels and stupidly gruesome monster murder stories exist for cheap thrills and enjoyment. But that doesn’t mean that, just like any other work of fictional literature, comics can’t provide a well-written, engrossing, and captivating storyline to those who are open-minded enough to invest the time and effort into a comic book.

So, before you make some snide comment to a friend who buys comic books weekly or a coworker who is aggravated by the newest superhero movie’s deviation from its epic 1997 comic storyline, give that person the benefit of the doubt. Keep in mind that maybe, just maybe, the friend or co-worker is currently reading a work of fiction in comic book form that has more substance to it than the current novel you are trudging through each night.

Or maybe he or she is just some adult that needs to grow up and stop acting like a kid.

I’ll be more than happy to continue this discussion in the comments section as well. It’s already far too long a post, but it’s something about which I am passionate and I didn’t want to emaciate the content or message behind it. I said I’d start writing shorter posts, and I feel like I was doing a decent job until this one, so bear with me.


“I been browsin’, inspectin’, X-Men comics, you know I collect ‘em…”

Too long a break...

I apologize. I've been spreading myself too thin and, consequently, have been lacking in the blog post department. Unfortunately, this absence is detrimental to me seeing as my writing will hopefully serve as one of the many facets I hope to present a potential employer regarding my future avenues of income and life happiness.

So, here is the plan. I'm going to go and clear my head this weekend. I'm taking a rare vacation and will be visiting a dear, close friend of mine named Dave Matthews. Dave has this "band" of "musicians" and they manage to play music that makes me question whether Heaven consists of St. Peter at the Pearly Gates or just some grungy guy taking tickets for an eternal DMB concert. I would be so happy if it were the latter.

So once I've left surreality and have grudgingly returned to this world known as "reality," I will be getting back to work both in the professional sense and in the personal sense. If you are going to be at Alpine Valley this weekend and want to say hello, send me an e-mail and we can get in touch. If you aren't going to be at Alpine Valley this Saturday and Sunday, I would highly recommend that you do everything that is remotely within the realm of possibility to try and get out there.

I mean...how often do you get to enjoy Heaven on earth?

I know I tend to end my posts with song lyrics, but I thought I'd instead give you a few samples of the happiness that will be bestowed upon me in 43.5 hours...

The first of these clips is what I consider to be my favorite live version of any DMB song. While Warehouse isn't necessarily my favorite song overall, nothing tops this Central Park performance in my book...



The poetically beautiful insanity of the next video is one of the many reasons my legs feel like I've run a marathon the day after a DMB concert...dancing in place (on a hill) can be so tiring...



Finally, a rendition of my all-time favorite DMB song...not necessarily this specific version, (although this is a darn good one). God I love Two Step...

This made me laugh out loud today...

This is a very short post. In fact, it's just one picture. But it made me laugh out loud multiple times throughout the morning.

Whether it's been photoshopped has now come into question at this point, but the truth is, I don't really care. I'm just going to assume it's not and continue to laugh at it every time I see it...

What makes a great "literary" work?

As a preface, this was originally intended to be a quick Tumblr post rather than a full-fledged blog post. But I like to write, so it turned into both. Consequently, this post doesn't contain my usual number of random links and videos, but since it's a slightly more serious subject than my usual posts, I think that'll be ok. Anyway, sorry for the boring intro.

I’ve recently engaged in a conversation/discussion regarding whether or not comic books and Harry Potter can be classified as legitimate “literature.” Well, not necessarily that they aren’t literature, but that they are on similar levels of what qualifies as actual literature.

This catalyst of this discussion was my excitement over the recent release of the trailer for the Hugo Award-winning graphic novel “Watchmen.” I explained, via Twitter, that “Watchmen” is an unbelievably deep and well-written work that is without a doubt more on the level of a literary novel than a comic book. In fact, it’s the only graphic novel (which is basically a comic book novel if you aren’t aware) to make Time Magazine’s “100 best English-language novels from 1923 to the present.”

From there, the Harry Potter series was brought into the discussion as being compared to “Watchmen” in terms of literary level. This brought me to my first question, which is “What qualifies something as ‘literature’ in today’s day and age?” Unfortunately, due to time and space constraints, I’ll focus on the Harry Potter side of the discussion. The comic books as literature argument will come on a day when I have more time to concentrate on my words. I’m very defensive about my comic books, you see.

Moving along. In my opinion, Rowling’s ability to write a literary work that appeals to people ranged from age 6 to age 56 shows that she has indeed crafted what could be considered one of the “great pieces of writing ever written" (the quote from the other side of the discussion being that she had not created one of the "great pieces of writing ever written").

One reason I consider it to be so is that, while it may be written toward a younger audience, people of all ages have no problem enjoying the novels. Obviously it’s no “Pride and Prejudice” or “Great Expectations,” but at the same time, those novels are more or less unreadable for anyone under the age of 17 or 18 (even then, readers at that age will unlikely understand the depth and themes of the works). On the other hand, readers of almost any age can find very deep and important issues underlying the wizardry, spells, and flying broomsticks. Harry Potter covers themes ranging from the basic battle of Good vs. Evil to racism, discrimination, class-distinction, and accepting death as an inevitable part of life.

Specifically, the argument was presented that the Harry Potter series is one that, in 20-30 years, will not be something that appeals to adults due to its adolescent themes. My response to this: The Lord of the Rings is a series that has captivated readers of all ages since 1954. And while the films clearly gave it a major revival in 2001, it had certainly managed to stand the test of time even before the films were released.

My question is, between the Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia (which were released around the same time) and the release of the Harry Potter series, which literary works have had that kind of influence and inspired (in people of all ages) a desire to pick up an old-fashioned book and spend weeks, days, or (in my case) hours reading it?

Also, the argument was presented that people in 20-30 years will have little interest in reading the Harry Potter novels. I would say, as a 22-year-old reader who very much enjoys fantasy and science-fiction (as well as non-sci-fi literary “classics” like “1984,” “Lord of the Flies,” and “Of Mice and Men”), that I did not read any Harry Potter books until I was 20 years old and I immediately read the Lord of the Rings trilogy for the first time following my completion of “The Half-Blood Prince.” Now, under the premise of people "not wanting to read something like that 20-30 years later," (paraphrased) I might be considered an anomaly. And I’m very ready to concede that it was also a result of the exciting Lord of the Rings movies (which, I will again concede, in Harry Potter’s case, will be quite dated in 20-30 years), but that doesn’t mean I didn’t thoroughly enjoy reading the Lord of the Rings trilogy 20-30 years after it was written and published.

Similarly, some people are absolutely obsessed (not necessarily in a good way) with the Harry Potter series. I find it hard to believe that these same people, in the next 10-15 years, won’t be sharing their passion with their own children. I know, from personal experience with my mother, that parents will be inclined to share things with their children in the hopes that said children will enjoy those things as well. The reason I love reading as much as I do is because my mom read “Where the Red Fern Grows” to me as a six-year-old. I cried at the end, and I realized how moving a made-up story written on paper could be. Then she told me that, when she was my age, she had the same reaction to the novel.

Regardless, I think Harry Potter will have a hold on society for a long time because, as opposed to other works written for children and teenagers, Harry Potter was written for everyone, kids and adults alike. To me, that’s what lifts it from a level of an elementary-level work of fiction to a truly great work of literature. New trends will certainly appear over time, but, much like the Lord of the Rings and The Chronicles of Narnia have failed to fall into the abyss of societal neglect, I feel Harry Potter will manage to survive and thrive as the series’ adoring fans continue to love the novels and pass them down to generation after generation.

This coming from someone who didn’t read his first page of a Harry Potter book until he was 20-years-old. Of course, that may be the reason I see it as a literary work rather than a children’s book.

My Top 5 Childhood Movies: The Final 2...

Ok, I’m back, and I know you’re excited. As I’m sure you were all on the edge of your seat (just like the last time), I thought it would be best to finish out my Top 5 list of my favorite/most influential childhood movies.

For a quick recap before reading these last two, check out the previous blog post if you haven't yet.

Let me preface these final two with this thought. I wish that at some point I had thought to count how many times I watched these movies. I’m almost positive that each would number well over 100 each (and probably many, many more). I realized this when, a year ago, I watched the #2 movie for the first time in about eleven years and discovered that I still knew probably 70% of the lines from the film. Whether that’s a good thing or a bad thing, I’m not really sure. But I was happy. Here we go!

#2
In all honesty, even though this film is #2 of my Top 5, it’s the one that inspired this specific blog post in the first place. Why, you ask? Because the premise of 3 Ninjas was so absolutely preposterous that I was struggling to understand how I could have ever enjoyed it. You may think I’m kidding, but I was a pretty intelligent (and modest) child growing up. I understood a lot of concepts that most kids would have blindly overlooked in lieu of enjoying something for what it was worth. I realized that many of the shows I watched were absolutely unrealistic, and I often mocked them (while hypocritically watching them, obviously…but at least I knew they were stupid).

But somehow, throughout my youth, I always thought maybe…just maybe…it might have been possible for three very young kids to defeat hundreds of ninjas in battle due solely to their ninja prowess. Looking back on it, I think that was one of my (very) few moments of sheer idiocy:




In my defense, much like Surf Ninjas, 3 Ninjas had all of the elements of my childhood I cherished and revered: violence, humor, video games (the handheld Ninja Turtles LCD game they play in the film is the same one I owned…how cool is that?!?), and while it may not have featured Barbara Ann like Surf Ninjas did, it did feature a really, really sweet alarm that lit up when their mom was coming up the stairs to their room. If that didn’t get you excited as a kid, I don’t know what did.


#1
And here we go. The number one most influential movie to ever grace my childhood fantasies and dreams: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles II: The Secret of the Ooze. I wish I could even sort of begin to express how important this movie was to me in my youth. I mean, as much as I loved 3 Ninjas, TMNT II is miles above 3 Ninjas as my all-time favorite movie as a kid. I watched it over. And over. And over. Just ask my mom.

Let’s get past the fact that I had been obsessed with the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles since as far back as I can remember. I have buckets of toys (yeah...I had the Pizza Thrower) that I won’t allow my mom to throw/give away (and I don’t even think she would because she cherishes my childhood happiness probably more than I do), I measured time in cartoon episode lengths (Mom's quote: "We're only three Ninja Turtle episodes away from Byron now, Mike") and the movies were fantastic (well...1 and 2 were...).

Now, I understand that the first of the TMNT movies is the “better film.” In fact, as a 22-year-old, I like it more than Secret of the Ooze. But, in terms of my childhood, this was the real deal for me. This was what I would watch any time I could. And then I’d act it out with toys, or, even better, live action fight sequences with stuffed animals and WWF Wrestling Buddies. Plus, Ernie Reyes Jr. (that’s right folks, of Surf Ninja stardom…although I believe his role in this movie came first) is the main sidekick. He was in TWO OF MY TOP 5 movies. I want to meet him and tell him this.

Anyway, here are just a few of the reasons I will always cherish TMNT II as my favorite childhood cinematic event:

The classic Vanilla Ice appearance and club fight scene:

And just some of the many fight scenes all conveniently compiled into one video (imagine me as a child acting these out…I reminisce frequently…)




And, as homage to the cartoon, here’s the first 7 minutes of an animated series episode. Nothing special about it other than the fact that it was available on YouTube so I figured I’d throw it in.

So there you have it. The top 5 movies of my childhood, summed up in two easy blog posts. I’m sure I’ll eventually write an entire post devoted to all of the aspects of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles in my youth, but, for now, this will have to do.

And I’d love to hear your top 5 childhood films as well. Or even your top 3. Or just your number one favorite childhood movie. Nothing like some good contrasting and comparing. So please leave a comment and let me know.


Rocky loves EM-I-LY, Rocky loves EM-I-LY, Rocky loves EM-I-LY…

The Shaping of My Childhood...

So, an internal discussion I’ve had with myself quite frequently is which movies from my childhood rank as my all-time favorites? The possibilities are more or less endless. Although I’d like to think that a classic like Disney's Robin Hood would be in my top five, it is one of the many that I’ll always love…but not that much.

And while I unexpectedly (and contrary to what I’m sure would have been my mother’s wishes) got to see Wayne’s World at age 7, forever cementing it as a favorite of mine due to the fact that my mom would have probably cut off her own fingers before letting me watch it as a child, even that memory isn’t enough to pull it into my top 5.

So, now that I’ve got you on the edge of your seat, I’m sure you’re wondering what other classic films from my childhood rank as my most important, both as influences and as repeated joy-bringers into my innocent youth. Well, I’ll go ahead and share them with you…

#5:
There was a not-surprising battle for the 5th place spot because there are so many good movies that could make the list. And while an imagination-inspiring film like Blank Check could have been on the list, I have to give the number 5 spot to an even greater classic: The Sandlot. At one point I had a link to the perfect video, but it has since been removed from YouTube, sadly. So just pretend there's a great video clip here.

P.S. – there’s no doubt in my mind that The Sandlot is a much better movie than some of those coming up on the list as far as quality of film and storytelling goes, but it’s my childhood, not the Academy’s childhood that we’re focusing on here.

#4:
Ok, number 4 is probably the least-known of the five movies I’ll put in my top 5. Chances are, if you aren’t between the ages of 20-23 you might not even know this movie exists. But, in my formative childhood years, Surf Ninjas contained every element of film necessary to make it a Billeter Classic Movie (that’ll be my movie network someday).

Surf Ninjas had karate:



video games:



and humor:



And it had Barbara Ann in it:



It was so perfect. I have the VHS if you’d like to borrow it sometime. If you haven’t seen it, I’d be happy to sit and watch it with you. Twice even.

#3:
This one has got to be a movie you’re familiar with. I would hope. Especially if you’re from this general region (specifically, Minnesota, but usually South Dakotans tend to love teams and things from "The Cities," so I think it’s ok). Regardless, if you haven’t quoted this movie at least once, I don’t think we’re from the same generation. I probably watched D2: The Mighty Ducks 150 times as a kid. From the unbelievably exciting team re-gathering sequence when they rollerblade over fountains and stuff, to this epic scene,



D2: The Mighty Ducks was my rainy day, sunny day, and any day movie. Sometimes it even made me wish I played hockey. And any movie that could make me wish I played hockey, even as a kid, deserves some mad props (that means recognition for you old-timers).


Tell you what…I’ve got 2 movies left in this top 5 list (and I can assure you, they’re fantastic), but this blog post is already far too long. So go ahead and check out Part 2, featuring my top 2 movies, whenever you feel like reminiscing about some classic cinematic masterpieces.


Weeeee are the champions my friends…and weeeee’ll keep on fighting, ‘til the end…

Giving Up old habits...

If you haven’t yet learned this about me, I love music. Whether it’s my friend Joey Ryan, rappers like Chamillionaire, Wale, or Gift of Gab, or a newfound (though not new by any means) artist like Colin Hay, I can't really put into words how huge a role music plays in my life. P.S. - Mr. Hay is the former lead singer of this wonderful band (which I love…and I am begging you to click that link...I promise it’s worth it).

Anyway, as I was buying the Colin Hay CD Going Somewhere (which features the song “Just Don’t Think I’ll Ever Get Over You" from the Garden State soundtrack...if any of you like that CD), I realized that I had to purchase another CD while I was at Best Buy. The interesting thing about that is the fact that said CD is one that I’ve owned since I was a junior in high school. Why was I buying it? Because, until yesterday, I had only owned burned copies of the album, and I figured it was about time The Postal Service received its due.

That’s right…after six years, I finally bought Give Up by The Postal Service for its full price at Best Buy. For some reason, I had gone over 2,000 days without spending the money on it because I kept telling myself it didn’t matter all that much. They were fine, tons of other people had bought the CD, and they don’t need the money or anything (by “they” I mean the two members of The Postal Service – Ben Gibbard and Jimmy Tamborello).

And while I never had a problem with friends who were menaces to the music industry with mp3 downloading dominance, it was my friendship with the aforementioned Joey Ryan that made me reconsider my stance on their freedom to download anything they could. I realized (as Joey worked hard to put on good music shows and sell his very, very good CDs), that he definitely didn’t deserve to have his hard work carelessly copied and burned without regard to the financial restitution he deserved.

-There's Joey, trying to earn a living...

And while I never heard him complain about people burning his CDs, I realized that other artists deserved to receive their compensation for pleasing my ears and mind with their music. Consequently, since my change of heart regarding my friends' downloading habits, I’ve worked hard to buy CDs (in their expensive entirety) because that’s what the artists deserve. Sometimes, when I’m not sure if I’ll like the music, I buy used ones off of Amazon or from Last Stop CD Shop here in Sioux Falls, but when I feel compelled to purchase a new album, I do it. And I occasionally buy a single or two off of iTunes, but it’s a rarity.

So…do I spend way too much money on CDs? Yes. But considering that I’ve probably listened to Give Up more than any other CD I own (besides the Garden State soundtrack…and Big Willie Style), it’s only fair that I finally fork over the $13.00 that I’ve mooched off of The Postal Service for six years. And while the inspiration to finally spend the money on it may have come from the fact that my burned copy was skipping like crazy, the fact of the matter is that I feel good knowing I’m supporting a duo that has made my life better with its music.

I don’t want to come off as preachy (which I’m pretty sure I do), because it’s anyone’s prerogative to do what they want with music. I just know that having a friend who intends to make a living off of music has changed my perspective on the ethics of the music industry.

My final thoughts are these…if you are thinking about burning a CD or downloading some songs illegally, just ask yourself if maybe, just maybe, the artist might deserve a little bit more than to get screwed yet again. If that’s the case, buy the CD the right way and then come comment on this blog and let me know which CD you bought (unless you buy this). If it's good, I just might have to buy a copy of it too. Or I’ll burn it and then pay for it six years later.

When…you are out there on the road, for several weeks of shows…and when you scan the radio, I hope this song will guide you home…