Articles by elayne-riggs

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Wed Jan 16, 2008 — by Elayne Riggs

The Batman Saves Len Wein, and other stories

Around the comics blogosphere

Len Wein writes that, had it not been for him blogging the terrific news about how the National Parks Service has added the cover of Batman: Nevermore to the permanent collection at the Edgar Allen Poe National Historic Site in Philadelphia, he might have left the house an hour earlier and become embroiled in a bank robbery.  Notes Len, "The Batman saved my life... again."

Ran into Alex Simmons at the local diner last week, who reminded me that the next Kids' Comic Con will take place at the Bronx Community College on Saturday, March 29.  Ah, if only that wasn't the date of my godson's bar mitzvah!  But no such excuses for the rest of you, particularly as the event will feature the announcement of the finalists in the first-ever KCC Comics Awards!  The deadline for nominations is Valentine's Day; check out this page for all the categories and to get a nominations form.  The winners will be announced at this year's New York Comic Con on Kids' Day, April 20.  And just as a reminder, Alex is also spearheading the Color of Comics exhibit at BCC, opening February 6 and running through mid-March.

For those het gals and gay guys looking for a little more parity in their superheroic objectification, it's Shirtless Superheroes to the rescue!  Although anyone who's been to the beach can tell you shirtless men and near-topless women aren't technically equivalent, it's still something of a sight for sore eyes.  Although so many six-pack abs in one place does start to look a bit creepy.

Speaking of deadlines and things of interest to female fans, Ginger Mayerson is pleased to announce the first issue of the Journal of Women On Comics, a print compilation of women writing on comics online.  Deadline is February 29, gals!

Continue reading The Batman Saves Len Wein, and other stories ›

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Wed Jan 16, 2008 — by Elayne Riggs

Food, Glorious Food, by Elayne Riggs

It's All Good #48

For the last week of job searches and interviews, I've not been very immersed in pop culture, unless one counts giggling at some Craigslist classifieds. I've kept up my blog reading, I've played computer games, I've suffered the first couple of plothole-ridden episodes of the Terminator TV series for a few minutes each, I'm up to Oz book #16, I'm through most of my DCU comics from November/December, the usual consumption. And it occurred to me -- consumption. There's a huge foodie contingent out there, which more and more resembles other pop culture fandom, so why not pontificate about food this week? After all, everybody eats. Even Stephen Colbert has been known to down the grits and lo mein on his show, and who can forget the immortal Eddie Izzard "Cake or Death" routine?

As a woman of some girth and experience, I have a love-hate relationship with food. I unapologetically love food itself, the pleasure it gives me to eat a satisfying and delicious meal, even to prepare one. But I hate the way corporations and people (most of whom don't even know me) take it upon themselves to lecture me about my food intake, particularly when I've never sought their advice, based solely on my outward appearance. I despise our current Culture of Deprivation, which in reality consists of mixed messages since we're also encouraged to decadently indulge at the same time. I despair that "moderation" seems to be such a dirty word in our world of extremes.

I grew up with the relatively moderate Four Food Groups chart (grains, fruits & vegs, meat and dairy). This predated the modern Food Pyramid, which presumes to advise people not only on how to vary their diets but on the proportions the USDA deems appropriate. Of course I implicitly trust a government agency among whose tasks it is to inspect meat and yet there's all this e-coli and mad cow and goodness knows what else. And hey, the current acting Secretary of Agriculture is the ex-president of the Corn Refiners Association, so I guess we'll all be hearing scads about how bad high-fructose corn syrup is for us, being probably the highest contributing factor in the decline of culinary health in this country. So you can see where I maintain a healthy skepticism toward changing food standards (like changing weight standards, beauty standards, etc.). People aren't charts, and what works well for one doesn't necessarily succeed for another.

 

Continue reading Food, Glorious Food, by Elayne Riggs ›

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Sun Jan 13, 2008 — by Elayne Riggs

ComicMix does time

Dancing' to the jailhouse rock

Thank goodness OJ Simpson and Marion Jones are serving time, making the world safe from rich,  self-indulgent (and presumably murderous, in one case) black former athletes!  Can rich treasonous white oilmen be far behind?  Well, yeah, actually.  Welcome to America, 2008!  Fortunately, our ComicMix columnists have just the thing to take your mind off these weighty matters, and here's the roundup of what we've done this past week:

At least they can't take away our dreams yet, so I can still fantasize about Karl Rove being frog-marched into a precinct house, can't I?

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Wed Jan 9, 2008 — by Elayne Riggs

Ho Ho Ho, It's Magic, by Elayne Riggs

It's All Good #47

In a comment to Mike Gold's column on Monday regarding Marvel's "One More Day" storyline, Michael H. Price noted, "It comes down to the question of 'What is Sacred Screed, and what is negotiable?' How far can the re-invention, or the seemingly likely evolution, of an established character go before the Powers That Do Be dictate a market-pandering reversal?" He even quoted the line that fanboy favorite Alan Moore borrowed for "Whatever Happened to the Man of Steel?" -- the famous "This is an Imaginary Story ... aren't they all?"

Now, I must confess off the bat that I haven't yet read the "One More Day" saga. I think I may have read the first issue, but I'm still waiting for delivery of most of my non-DC comics from December. It's something I've learned to live with, this being one or more months behind the "early adopter" new-comics-every-Wednesday crowd of which I was once a part, ever since my former job moved out of Manhattan, rendering impractical my weekly visits to the local comics store. It makes responding to the fan outrage du jour a little trickier, as I can't cite specific examples of one thing or another, so I'm left with responding to the response, as it were.

I like to think it's a tribute to writers and artists of the past that the characters and situations they had a hand in creating have taken on such illusory "lives" of their own that inspire such passion in readers that they seem to argue endlessly over something that doesn't exist. If only that energy could be harnessed for good!

Continue reading Ho Ho Ho, It's Magic, by Elayne Riggs ›

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Sun Jan 6, 2008 — by Elayne Riggs

Caucus for ComicMix Columnists

Voting for a good read

Well, about 19% of eligible voters in the first atypically-populated state with way too much power to decide the country's fate have spoken, Presidential campaign-wise, and rendered moot at least three candidates on the Democratic side, who are no longer Biden their time as they Dodd-er back to Washington with Gravel-y voices.  Thank goodness Kucinich didn't drop out yet, his name is awfully hard to pun.  Meanwhile, a couple of our weekly ComicMix columnists have become a bit political of late; with the campaign season being so long there's almost sure to be more where that came from.  Here's what we've given you this past week:

Say, did you know there was also a Republican caucus in Wyoming?  How come Iowa and New Hampshire get all the press?  (Just 'cause Wyoming Democrats caucus separately, two months from now?) If I were Cheyenne I would sue.

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Wed Jan 2, 2008 — by Elayne Riggs

Everything Old is New (Year) Again, by Elayne Riggs

It's All Good #46

It's the first business day of 2008 and, as I noted a few weeks ago, time for many pop-culture mavens to present their Best of 2007 lists. Alas, I will not be one of those. I can't remember most of what I read in 2007, a blur of a year for me at the best of times due to the losses I suffered. But this isn't new for me; I can barely remember the fiction I read or watch more than a half hour or so afterwards. It's just the way my mind works. The only time I was able to do yearly wrap-ups and "Best Of"s was when I was regularly reviewing about a dozen comics every week, because I could refer to my previous work, but even then it was tough because I didn't grade the stuff, I just talked about it.

My low retention rate is one reason why re-reading cherished books I've had for years is so fulfilling to me. It contains both the comfort of revisiting something vaguely familiar to me and the excitement of seeing it all anew. I was very happy to have received so many comments on my last column (thanks so much, all!). Obviously children's books are beloved by a lot of adult pop culture geeks besides me. That's really wonderful, and I think it proves the point that all-ages stuff really does mean stuff written for the young and the young-at-heart, rather than exclusively for the young. (It probably doesn't hurt that we're all comics people too, and have all experienced the knee-jerk reactions of many non-comics readers that we're too old for our hobby, with its accompanying implicit assumption that all-ages literature ought not be enjoyed by, well, all ages.)

Continue reading Everything Old is New (Year) Again, by Elayne Riggs ›

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Mon Dec 31, 2007 — by Elayne Riggs

The last holiday post of 2007

Having a very Mamtor Christmas

We couldn't let the year go without this wonderful holiday greeting from our friend Liam Sharp & family:

You can check out all of Liam's offerings at his Mamtor site, which also includes this intriguing preview for something called Viking Zombie Elvis:

Did you spot the Simon Bisley cameo? I think Paul Neary may be in there as well...

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Sun Dec 30, 2007 — by Elayne Riggs

Hail the new, ye lads and lasses

ComicMix prepares for Aught-Eight

While it's been a rather quiet week news-wise, our weekly ComicMix columns have seen lots of activity.  We were particularly honored to host an online wake of sorts last Thursday, reuniting members of the old CompuServe Comics and Animation Forum (myself included) in the comments section of John Ostrander's touching remembrance of Paul "Zeus" Grant.  Here's what else we've written for you this past week:

We wish everyone all you wish for yourselves in 2008 and beyond.

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Sat Dec 29, 2007 — by Elayne Riggs

UN Teams with Marvel

Spidey goes where Bolton fears to tread

The Financial Times reports that the United Nations Office for Partnerships will be working with Marvel Comics to create "a comic book set in a fictional war-torn country with superheroes working alongside UNICEF aid workers and U.N peacekeepers."

Notes UPI somewhat sarcastically, the partnership is designed in part to bolster the UN's "international image damaged by the unilateral diplomatic efforts of some Western countries by teaching children the value of international cooperation."

And by "some Western countries, " read "the scary guy with the mustache who wants to lop off the building's top ten floors yet somehow got a recess appointment to be our ambassador to the organization, and who was forced out in deserved disgrace about a year ago."  The UN hopes to distribute the comics to about 1 million US children initially, and one can only hope Spider-Man & co. are more powerful than Ornery Moustache Dude.

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Fri Dec 28, 2007 — by Elayne Riggs

Doctor Condemned, Ratings Extolled

Titanic survivor complaints as well

Seems that Christmas entertainment is not without its controversy even in an officially Christian country like the UK.

On the heels of the massive ratings success of this year's Doctor Who Christmas special, "Voyage of the Damned," which garnered a 50% share of the total British TV audience (increasing to 55% at its peak), an obscure group with way too much un-Christ-like anger (think the UK equivalent of crazy Bill Dohonue's Catholic League) has complained about the portrayal of the Doctor as a savior figure as "completely inappropriate."  Why this complaint wasn't lodged at the end of Series Three (see photo) is beyond me.

In addition, Millvina Dean, the last living survivor of the Titanic disaster, criticized the episode sight-unseen, saying "I think it is disrespectful to make entertainment of such a tragedy."  No word on whether she made the same complaint to James Cameron a few years back.

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Wed Dec 26, 2007 — by Elayne Riggs

Who's on First for Christmas

Boxing Day treats for all!

Paul Cornell reveals a true horror story hidden inside a mystery, and writes a Dr. Who story of the season for the London Telegraph.

Newsarama has previews of the upcoming series from IDW. A very Brady Christmas indeed.

And it took a little longer than I predicted, but the first of the Dr. Who Christmas episode segments (featuring David Tennant and Kylie Minogue) are now up.  Here's part one of a promised eight-parter by an enterprising Whovian:

One in-joke that's probably not really an in-joke but which I appreciated tremendously is the appearance, about three minutes in, of Geoffrey Palmer, probably best known on this side of the pond as Lionel in As Time Goes By (co-starring Dame Judy Dench), but who also did a terrific reading of A Christmas Carol a couple years ago.

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Wed Dec 26, 2007 — by Elayne Riggs

'Zat You, Santy Claus?, by Elayne Riggs

It's All Good #45

"Childhood is the time of man's greatest content," said Ak, following the youth's thoughts. "'Tis during these years of innocent pleasure that the little ones are most free from care."

One of the promises I made to myself during my temporary unemployment period was to finally read and reread all of the Oz books that I own. It's a pleasurable if somewhat daunting goal, as L. Frank Baum wrote 14 volumes in all, then Ruth Plumly Thompson carried on with 19 more, and although I had my period of fanatic Oz collecting and I did make it through all of Baum's volumes I believe I stopped somewhere after the third or fourth Thompson book.

[As you might be able to discern from the photo above, my last four Thompson volumes aren't even out of shrink-wrapping yet (hence the glare from the flash), and that out of many, many other "official" Oz books I also own tomes by Eric Shanower (Giant Garden, Salt Sorcerer and all his Oz graphic novels which are shelved elsewhere), Eloise and Lynn McGraw (Rundlestone), Edward Einhorn (Paradox) and Rachel Cosgrove Payes (Wicked Witch). Of those I've only read Eric's comics, so I have a lot of great reading still to come!]

But I digress; for now I'm still working my way through Baum, and I've just started his seventh book. Despite the fact that he was hardly what you'd call ahead of his time (he advocated the extermination of American Indians, his work contains a fair amount of assumptions about gender roles), I'm finding his Oz books a real comfort, not only because he wrote of a time and place with which I have absolutely no first- or even second-hand experience (my grandparents were all immigrants and I've never lived in the middle of the country), but because he understood what it meant to write for children.

Continue reading 'Zat You, Santy Claus?, by Elayne Riggs ›

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Sun Dec 23, 2007 — by Elayne Riggs

Tidings of comfort and joy

ComicMix columns burst with holiday spirit

On the off-chance that anyone else out there is spending their Christmas holiday engaged in online reading rather than in more traditional pursuits (eating, opening pressies, eating, singing carols, eating, watching heartwarming holiday specials on TV, and eating), we herewith present this past week's ComicMix columns:

Have a safe and peaceful Christmas, everyone!

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Fri Dec 21, 2007 — by Elayne Riggs

Torchwood Two Trailer

Fans get a Freema peek

Over at Freema Agyeman's eponymous site, she's posted a trailer for an episode of Torchwood's second series (or season, as they call it on this side of the pond) in which she appears.  Here's a portion of a still from that episode:

Agyeman's site also links to what she calls "the TARDIS Friends Network," consisting so far of the eponymous sites of David Tennant and Billie Piper.

In other Torchwood news, Series Two will also be airing specially-edited repeats of each episode which will be deemed more suitable for families and kids and, well, me.  Honestly, all this bed-hopping is driving me dizzy.  In further news, BBC America is still not available on our cable system, so it's rather a moot point from this end.

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Wed Dec 19, 2007 — by Elayne Riggs

More of My Favorite Things, by Elayne Riggs

It's All Good #44

The combination of my temporary unemployment and inclement weather has enabled me to catch up on my DC comp box reading, so I can finally pick up where I left off a few weeks back. Mind you, I was looking at October books at the time and since then the November box came in. Still, a couple of the same caveats apply as last time -- I haven't seen the comics from the last few weeks, which gives me a bit of a headache when Robin gets his Suicide Squad advance comps and the issue in question (#4, in stores now) cross-references an important plot point in a Checkmate issue I've yet to see. So a lot of these observations will be about the issue prior to the one most comic fans have already seen, but in most cases the artists are the same.

Also, as before, I won't cover every artist who did a good or serviceable job, just the ones I considered my very favorites of this most recent batch. Any omissions are not to be taken as an assumption that I didn’t like other stuff. And yes, I'm still talking more about how the art affected me viscerally than using technical vocabulary, which makes these more overviews than reviews per se. I miss full-on reviewing, but I just don't seem to have the time any more.

While I stopped at the letter "F" last time, I wanted to mention a couple books which hadn't come out at the time. Onward, then:

Continue reading More of My Favorite Things, by Elayne Riggs ›

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