Category: Columns

Ed Catto: The Misfit Among Misfits?

Suicide Squad covers

No one can deny Geek Culture has gotten bigger, broader and more mainstream. It’s cool to know about comics and comic characters’ history. It’s now cool to wear shirts with superhero images no matter what your age. And even mainstream retailer Bed Bath and Beyond is getting into the act, borrowing the soon-to-be unveiled Captain America statue for the grand opening of a new store before it makes a permanent home in Brooklyn.

Just a few short years ago, telling the world at large that you were planning to attend the San Diego Comic-Con was met with eye rolls and snickers. Now that very same travel announcement is invariably met with envy, excitement and the inevitable “You’re so lucky! Can you get me a Dr. Strange poster?”

Catto Family SSThis all leads us to the excitement and unique fan passion for the new Suicide Squad movie. I don’t think it’s all about that mainstream geek passion. It’s something different.

A Different Passion

Now, as a long time fan, I’ve dragged my family to many fan-focused movies. They’ve always been great sports, but my daughters never really caught the bug. They’d sit through a superhero movie, eat popcorn with dad, and then promptly move onto the next thing after the show was over. Oh, they’d always find cool superhero presents for old dad for birthdays and holidays, but that was just them being kind rather than being passionate fans.

So you can imagine my surprise when my middle daughter, Tessa (who just graduated from college a year ago and is working in New York City) said “Hey Dad, what’s this Suicide Squad about? Maybe we should go see that.” I wasn’t sitting down when she said that, but if I had been, I would’ve fallen off out of my chair.

Who They Are And How They Came To Be

Suicide Squad Pudding Hot TopicThe Suicide Squad was a DC comic series that debuted with a half-hearted tryout as spy-espionage series. It really took off in the mid-80s when it was rebooted as comics’ version of The Dirty Dozen. Some of my favorite comic creators were behind this incarnation: John Ostrander, Kim Yale, Mike Gold, Luke McDonnell, Karl Kesel, Robert Greenberger and more.

More recently, the Suicide Squad bolted on one of the most popular new comic characters, Harley Quinn. At the core of it, she’s the Joker’s insane girlfriend, but she’s grown to be so much more. She’s kind of like the comic version of Chelsea Handler mixed with the irreverent, bisexual Bugs Bunny. She’s fresh, effervescent and lot of fun.

And today’s Harley Quinn and the Suicide Squad seem to stand for something special, and passionate fans are embracing and protecting it all. As the ultimate “bad boys/girls” of the superhero world, the Suicide Squad members are edgy and frightening. They are poor role models for kids. But I think that in many ways, they represent a mindset that so many fans have.

These characters certainly aren’t super-characters like Captain America. They don’t make all the right choices and they don’t do heroic things. They’re grungy and disrespectful. Authority figures despise them, but they are very comfortable with who they are.

Deadshot 2And they co-opted the prettiest girl in the class as one of their own. Margot Robbie, a stunning actress who gave us all a reason to sit through the failed caper movie, Focus, plays Harley Quinn. She’s scary and insane and riveting in every trailer. It’s as if America’s Sweetheart (Spoiler alert: She’s not really American) started hanging out with the bad kids in high school.

All of this was thrown into a Geek Culture pot and stirred until it became a fresh stew of validation, alienation, and a unique kind of anti-establishment celebration.

Don’t Stomp On Someone Else’s Validation

And that’s whey when early movie reviews started slamming the movie, faithful Suicide Squad fans rushed to the movie’s defense… before they could even see the movie. Some fans tried to turn the tables on Rotten Tomatoes as payback for dissing their movie, and by proxy, dissing what these fans hold dear and their opportunity for validation.

Not everyone gets it, of course. Slate, that mostly-political site, scratched their head in a story all about the authentic and creative Suicide Squad licensed merchandise on sale at Urban Outfitters. You could almost hear the (usually hip) Slate shaking an aged fist and grumbling “You damn kids, get offa my industry of licensed movie products!”

Geek Culture has grown big – and now the tent is so big that there are areas within it for so many different groups. The Suicide Squad represents another unique segment, and they are vociferously passionate about what’s important to them.

In the holiday classic Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Yukon Cornelius famously tells his friends “Even among misfits, you’re misfits.” And as many comic nerds have become the cool kids, they’ve left behind many who feel disenfranchised. Or, more accurately, some who feel disenfranchised.

That’s why I believe Suicide Squad is making a connection. It’s telling those who aren’t sitting at the cool kids table that they have value. They are unique. They are special and here’s a movie for you. And many folks just don’t hear that much or certainly not enough.

This isn’t really “my 80s Suicide Squad” – and I don’t think it should be.

But I am excited that so many of the creators* can see what their ideas have become on the big screen.

And I’m really excited that folks who dig arm bands and shop at Hot Topic and may feel like misfits amongst society’s beautiful people have a summer superhero movie all their own. And that we can all enjoy.

And I hope it becomes a franchise.

*One aside: Kim Yale, a trailblazing comics writer who worked on so many Suicide Squad stories, passed away years ago. She gone but she’s far from forgotten. NPR just did a wonderful piece on her and you can give it a listen here.

John Ostrander, Temporary Celebrity!

DC Suicide Squad Pre Party

Last week I gave a review of the Suicide Squad movie. This week, I’m talking about my trip to NYC for the premiere.

I got in to the East Coast on 7/31 and stayed with my friends Tam and Kev English over in New Jersey, near to where I used to live. Tom Mandrake and Jan Duursema, who also live in the area, were going to be in town Sunday night before going on a trip so we all got together for a nice meal. Hilarity ensued.

Viola DavisTom and Jan also gave me a box full of Kros: Hallowed Ground booty. This is stuff that will be going out to our subscribers and it is killer cool.

I took the train into Manhattan on Monday to join my old bud and oft-time editor and my date for the evening, the lovely and effervescent Mike Gold.  We were meeting for a pre-festivities lunch. Among many other projects, Mike edited Legends, which is where my version of the Suicide Squad first appeared. True to form, I screwed up both the time and the location but eventually wound up where I was supposed to be, a little hot, a lot sweaty, but there.

It was a nice meal at Virgil’s BBQ (when with Mike, you’re quite likely to wind up eating barbecue) and then it was time to head out to the pre-premiere party being hosted by Dan Didio and DC Entertainment. On our way to a taxi (Mike suggested the subway but I was already overheated), we went to the heart of Times Square and there – lo and behold – was a huge frickin’ ad for the movie up on a building. It was at least four stories tall and wrapped around the building on either side. I was staggered.

On to the DC pre-party up at Pappardella on the upper west side. We were met outside by Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Connor; seeing Jimmy always guarantees a good time and Amanda graces the company of wherever she is.

All sorts of DC stalwarts were inside including some old friends like Paul Levitz, Mike Barr, and Keith Giffen. Was also joined by Adam Glass and his wife at our table in the corner. Adam had written the initial issues of the New 52 edition of the Squad and we were able to chat Squad shop. Great guy, good writer, and a fun table companion.

I also got to meet Geoff Johns face-to-face for the first time. We’ve traded more than a few emails but have never been able to be in the same place at the same time. Geoff has recently been promoted to President as well as Chief Creative Officer of DC Entertainment and I had a chance to congratulate him. He sat down and we had just a really good chat. In addition to being a really good writer, Geoff is a hell of as nice guy.

Ostrander DivaThey got some group photos of all of us at Pappardella and then it was time to walk over to the nearby Beacon Theater for the premiere. We got off the buses and it was amazing: there was major security, both private and city, and barriers and people behind barriers looking for stars and celebrities. I was dazzled and dazed. I started to follow the herd towards the theater until I heard someone calling my name. It was Dan Didio as well as my date gesturing me over to a large air conditioned tent right there on Amsterdam Avenue. I mean, the air conditioning units were huge. I was supposed to go in that way. I wasn’t sure why but I went there.

Inside there was a backdrop and lots of press and photographers. I was in a spotlight and, swear to God, they were calling “John, look over here.” “John. Over this way.” “John, look straight ahead.” Flashes flashed and I had on my best deer caught in the headlights look. It was weird.

My baptism by strobes completed, I was escorted out of the tent and to the theater and given my assigned seat. The Beacon is no small theater (albeit a beautiful one) and every seat was assigned. I sat in the middle of the DC row and settled in. Geoff Johns was two seats to my right but the one right next to me was vacant. I decided that seat belonged to my late wife and frequent Squad co-writer, Kim Yale. Knowing Kim, she was having a blast.

Pete Tomasi, my one-time editor on a lot of The Spectre, Martian Manhunter, and The Kents, came over for a chat. It was great to see him; it’s been far too long. Pete‘s also a freelance writer these days and a good one.

I’ll admit to being dazzled. A lot of fuss was being made over me and more than a few people came up and said that this was my night as well; that none of this would have been happening without me. I guess that’s technically true but it’s a little hard for me to wrap my brain around.

Anyway, it comes time for the movie and the director, David Ayer, comes out to say a few words and he brings out the entire cast of the movie. Loud cheers all around. The cast walks off and the movie begins.

I reviewed the movie last week and I’ll double down on it. I’ve seen it again since then, with My Mary (who couldn’t make it to the premiere) at IMAX and in 3-D and I liked it even more. I understand that there’s people who don’t agree with me and that’s fine; different tastes for different folks. For example, Mary likes broccoli and I can’t stand it, referring to it as “tiny trees”. But I loved the Squad movie and I’ll see it still again.

One note about it and it’s a very minor spoiler. I knew ahead of time that they had named a building used in the movie the John F. Ostrander Federal Building. I knew it was there, I knew it was coming up and yet, somehow, I missed seeing it. The DC row cheered but I didn’t see it until we went to the IMAX. Go figure.

There were cheers when the movie was over and then it was time to get onto the buses and go to the after-party. It was held in a huge hall with parts of it made up to look like Belle Reve (I’m told it was on display at SDCC and then moved east). There was food, there was drink, there was a DJ and loud music; DC had a private area off to one side. I understood the stars of the movie were in attendance and had their own area as well.

This may surprise some folks but not, I think, those who know me well. I sometimes get a case of the shys; I feel awkward where I feel somewhat out of place. I saw Kevin Smith there and wanted to go up and talk with him but he was talking to someone else so I wandered off. I didn’t want to bother him.

The one person I did want to meet was Viola Davis who played Amanda Waller. Amanda is special to me and Ms. Davis did a superb job, IMO, and I just wanted to tell her so. First, I had to deal with security. I walked up to a guy guarding the artist’s area; the Hulk is smaller than this guy. Real tall, shoulders the size of a football field – nobody was getting past him. Nobody.

I went straight to him, explained who I was and why I wanted to see Ms. Davis. He was polite, got a hold of someone who had to go check on me. While I waited, he deflected two or three others. The guy was good at his job.

Finally, someone came up to take me back the handful of steps to –. I introduced myself and then told her how much I enjoyed her performance. She was very gracious and lovely. I think, although I’m not certain, that I did not babble unduly.

And then I was done.

I might have liked to say hello to some of the other actors and especially the director but, plain and simple, I’d run out of nerve. My date had already left to catch a train and it was time for me to do the same. Penn Station was only a block or two away and that’s where I need to go to get back to Tam and Kev.

I’m reasonably certain in my heart that Kim was there at the party. She would have been in her element. She was an extrovert and she would have been dancing and drinking and chatting with the stars and flashing that megawatt smile. I’m also reasonably certain she’s still there; at many a Con, Kim would still be partying while I went to bed. I couldn’t keep up with her.

I said goodbye to Geoff Johns, got to Penn Station and went back to my friends in Jersey.

It was an experience totally unlike anything I’ve ever had. I don’t know if I’ll ever have another one like it. Even if I went to another movie premiere, this was my first one. As they say, you never forget your first.

I was a temporary celebrity. I’ve done lots of interviews connected with the event and I’ll probably do a few more, told the same stories or given the same answers a lot of times. I’ve been dipped in the waters of fame. There were faces on the other side of the barriers in front of the theater or the after party, looking at me, wondering who I was. I must have been Somebody. For the moment, maybe I was.

I’m home now. The dishes need washing, this column has to be finished, and one of the cats wants attention. That’s who I am and I’m happy with that. The rest will fade as it should. I’ll tell you this, though – it sure as hell was fun while it lasted! For that night, I was John Fucking Ostrander with my name of the side of a building in a big ass movie..

Yeah. That was cool.

Suicide Squad: Marc Alan Fishman’s Conflict of Interest!

Harley Quinn GloveHello all. As I’m sure nearly everyone else here on ComicMix has given their two cents on the recent release of Suicide Squad (with the most important among us, John Ostrander, being the end-all-be-all in his review), I’d be remiss if I didn’t also drop a few opinionated pennies in the bucket.

My opinion of the flick, sadly, isn’t a high one. Had John – someone I admire so much as a writer, and cherish as a (dare I say it) personal friend – not been one of the sources by which David Ayer and his team built the Squad around? I’d really be inclined to say I left the theater unsurprisingly disgruntled. But I left at least with a snicker and some joy for the good things buried in the layers of bad.

Walking in, admittedly, my expectations were low. Given the bar to clear thanks to Batman v. Superman, all I really wanted was a film that could at least take a step back now and again to have a laugh and/or human moment. I didn’t need to see Deadshot and his dirty dozen eat gyros in Central City mind you, but I needed to be reminded now and again that the DC Movie Universe wasn’t all angsty rainstorms and mommy issues.

Walking out, I felt I’d been treated to – as my friend and comic shop owner Eric Garneau quipped — a two hour music video. Stuff exploded. One liners were dropped. A little depth and human emotion permeated a few of the Wall’s wicked wrongdoers. And I didn’t leave exhausted by most of the ham-fistedness of it all.

If I’m allowed to file some complaints… (And, duh, SPOILERS be ahead, matey)

Jared Leto may had thought going method was the way to really capture the Joker. But the inked and lovelorn desperate putz they paraded out during the film was hardly the clown prince of crime I personally love to loathe. As presented, he was a chalk white gangster without a soul. If it’s one thing every Joker before him has shown (and much of that comes with the script) is a depth beyond the forced smile and purple pants. In Suicide Squad, he served only one purpose: to grant us our Harley Quinn, the sexpot screwloose heart-of-the-team.

A secondary concern would pop up when it came to the obvious screen time of Will Smith’s Deadshot as well as the aforementioned Dr. Quinzelle. Clearly the studio loved how marketable each would be; Deadshot is basically a living action figure, and Harley is Hot Topic made flesh. But with each of them getting considerably longer stretches to dominate the film, the more interesting members of the team were left to fill fodder roles.

Had we not seen Captain Boomerang stuff the pink unicorn into his jacket several dozen times, would there even be much to the character as given to us? He was funny as he continually opted to try to half escape or drink beer, sure… But there’s far more to Digger than the movie opted to offer.

And what of Killer Croc or El Diablo? To me, Diablo stole the film, with his well-paced slow burn (natch) arc. It left me wanting to know far more about him. While Croc apparently was happy to be the muscle of the team who was always relegated to wide shots due to the budget clearly being spent on Enchantresses’ CGI maelstrom.

Which leads me to the last nit to pick. From the second she was introduced, Enchantress was truly used as nothing more than a deus ex machinsquad. Overpowered, over CGI’ed, and under-acted, I never believed for a second that the June Moon inside wanted our Not-Tom-Hardy Rick Flag. But the point is moot. She was there to give us a squad and produce yet-another-army of expendable computer monsters to bash. Meh.

For what it’s worth, I feel the need to end on an uplifting note. Much as John himself pointed out, so much of the success of this film would rest on Amanda Waller. As the Samuel L. Jackson Nick Fury of the DCU (who predates that actual character by several decades… thank you, John), Viola Davis was everything I wanted in the Wall and more. In fact, I hope we catch her rooting around every DC movie from here to the eventual Kingdom Come.

Ultimately, if someone were to ask me about Task Force X I’d pop in my DVD of Justice League Unlimited and show them how it was done as a masterstroke. Otherwise, I suggest switching your brain to mute, getting a large greasy bucket of popcorn, and just enjoy the madness. Suicide Squad is, to date, the best DC’s movie makers have yet to offer. Enough glints of hope exist for the casual fans to have a good time.

And hey, should the Squad return? Well, if it drops a few shekels of credit to John Ostrander… my next ticket will be bought in advance.

Martha Thomases: Comicons, Guns and Flutter

Toy Guns

There is a chance this year that I might again attend the Baltimore Comic-Con next month. This pleases me. It’s a fun show, almost entirely about comic books.

Yeah, there are some movie and television celebrities, and that’s fine. Their presence makes many people happy. They don’t take up a lot of the show floor. For the most part, it’s easy to get around. Similarly, although the cosplay can be brilliant, it doesn’t consume all the available aisle space. Or oxygen.

There is a delightful feeling of cooperation between the folks who run the con and fans and other attendees. Announcements made through the sound system are clear and easy to understand. The pros are accessible, and, in return, the fans don’t maul them. I’m sure there are examples of rudeness and discourtesy, but, unlike at other shows (I’m looking at you, NYCC) they don’t overwhelm the good vibes.

And, also, they have a weapons policy.

I never thought about a show having a weapons policy before. I mean, every municipality has its own laws about guns, and of course a comics convention within city limits must abide by the laws of that particular city. As cosplay continues to grow, cosplayers will want to look as authentic as they possibly can so they can garner the most admiration possible. This means they’ll want realistic-looking imitation swords, knives, lances, maces, lasers and, yes, guns.

Alas, reality intrudes. Just as we must open our bags before we go into a theater these days and walk through an X-Ray machine at the airport, it’s not unreasonable to expect comics conventions to devise tighter security measures. I would rather be patted down before entering, and possibly even surrender my beloved knitting needles, than fear an attack like the one in Orlando.

Fake plastic weapons don’t phase me. Fundamentalist terrorism does.

A lot of my comrades in the anti-war movement think toy weapons are bad. While I respect their opinion, I disagree. I think all of us, including children (maybe especially children) get frustrated with reality and want to act out our rage and fury, even if only in our imaginations. Children need to be taught to accept themselves and their feelings, even the so-called “bad” feelings, if they are ever to have a chance to learn how to control themselves.

It’s a wonderful thing to dress up in a way that expresses are hopes and fears, and then be admired for our creativity. Although cosplay is not my thing (and you should thank your lucky stars for that), I understand how cool it must feel to walk around in public, costumed as a fierce warrior or an intrepid heroine. It must be fun to flirt with evil, dressed as a villain.

While I love these flights of fantasy, I also admire the way graphic storytelling has, over the last couple of decades, expanded into genres that offer more kinds of heroes to admire. Yes, we have Batman and Supergirl and Thor and the Hulk, and villains like Harley Quinn and Loki and Brainiac. We have dorkier, more human-looking characters like Squirrel Girl and Ms. Marvel. We have real life heroes such as Congressman John Lewis, who has organized kids at his convention panels into cosplayers who replicate the March on Selma.

Along with pretending to have superpowers and smashing bad guys (or good guys, as the case may be), the good stuff about Congressman Lewis encouraging this kind cosplay in children is that these kids are learning how to accomplish the same results through active non-violence.

I love him so much for doing this. And I’m not the only one.

Tweeks Catching Up with Wynonna Earp Cast at SDCC

Wynonna Earp is quite possibly the best show on TV right now. If you haven’t been watching, then hurry up and get on Syfy.com and be ready to be sucked in. And then go straight to your local comic book store and buy all the Wynonna Earp comics from IDW. Go! Now!

For those of you who already know this show is like if Buffy The Vampire Slayer, Supernatural, and a Western had an exciting, well-written super baby, then you will totally appreciate that we got to have a few quick words with the amazing Beau Smith (Wynonna Earp creator), Tim Rozon (Doc Holiday), Shamier Anderson (Agent Dolls), & Melanie Scrofano (Wynonna Earp). Apparently the buzz on Wynonna Earp’s first season was epic because the press room was crazy crowded, but we’re hoping to get all of our questions out to the cast before Season 2. Oh, yeah, that’s right — Wynonna Earp is getting a much deserved second season. Yee haw!

On a side note — we absolutely love how genuinely excited Tim Rozon is being at Comic Con. The video doesn’t do his joy justice. We could not love him more! And honestly truly, Maddy does know the difference between Dolls & Doc. It just was a lot easier to interview them before she was obsessed with the show.

Dennis O’Neil: I Think, Therefore I Yam What I Yam

Descarte Matrix

So, you think you exist, do you?

Okay, you probably do, but not in the way you’ve always believed you do. (And let’s be wary of that word “always.” Might be a slippery one, that “always.”) Way back when, in the seventeenth century, a brainy guy, a philosopher and mathematician named René Descartes put “cogito ergo sum” into the world’s head. A lot of you know that René’s observation means, in the usual English translation, “I think therefore I am.”

What he was trying to do, our René, was find Truth with a capital T – some fact that could not be doubted, no matter what, no matter who. He asked us to imagine that there exists an evil demon who has created a vastly elaborate illusion. We’re just a brain, or something akin to brains, floating in demon porridge or maybe suspended from a demon ceiling and everything else is a part of demon’s foolery. It just ain’t. But someone other than the demon must be on the receiving end of the demonic sniggery, or else the sniggery itself couldn’t exist. That someone is me.

popeye the matrixI can’t be sure about you. How do I know that you’re there?

Our movie-going friends may have already noticed something familiar here. Yeah, that flick – The Matrix, written and directed by siblings named Wachowski and released in 1999. Same idea: bad machines have humans in some kind of suspended animation, and the humans don’t know it because they’re being caused to hallucinate a fully populated and developed Earth.

This is a bit like what I do/did for a living. Sketch out characters who don’t exist except as brain blops and jerrybuild an imaginary world for them to inhabit, then present the fruits of this labor to others. Usually, for me, that involved writing comic book scripts.

And you? Well, for purposes of this discussion we’ll assume that you do exist, though how and in what form and why we won’t stipulate.

Here we nod to philosopher Nick Bostrum who, in 2003, offered the theory that the universe is a computer simulation. Some people believed him – Elon Musk and Neil deGrasse Tyson among them. It’s been estimated that there’s approximately a 20 percent chance that Bostrum’s wacky theory reflects reality, albeit a reality we can’t comprehend and might not recognize if we found ourselves plunked down in the middle of it.

As for that reality’s inhabitants… who can guess? I’m wondering if they, covertly, interact with us and if they hear what we say and see what we do. And if such is the case, how do we know that they aren’t inhuman doppelgangers able to coexist in the same space that we occupy? And hey, you doppled others, what’s your deal? What are you up to, anyway? Playing a game with a gamepiece that’s me? Running an experiment? Doing something my brain is not configured to understand, or even to perceive?

Waiting for me to make a mistake? Well, that shouldn’t take long, but if you control me, wouldn’t the mistake be yours?

I could get to like this game.

Box Office Democracy: Suicide Squad

I usually try to avoid reading reviews of movies before I go see them but the explosion of negativity that came out as soon as the embargo dropped last week made it utterly impossible to see Suicide Squad completely untainted. Combined with some scheduling snafus that kept me from seeing the film until Monday morning I walked into the theater with a strong preconception that this was going to be a bad movie. And it was— Suicide Squad is a bad movie, but it isn’t the end of western cinema, it isn’t the worst superhero movie ever made, it isn’t even the worst superhero movie released this year from Warner Bros that Ben Affleck is in. At some points it’s even endearingly bad, the kind of movie that could end up with a cult following. I doubt it will because of all the times it’s just a bland kind of bad and the crushing weight of the perpetual DC cinematic failures, but there are traces of a spark here.

Suicide Squad is an aggressively bland movie. Everything but Harley Quinn seems to be colored in various shades of grey or, at best, muted colors. The sets are drab and the exteriors are very obviously studio back lots pumped in with a smoke machine. Even the most common bad guys are an endless supply of vaguely human cannon fodder made out of black goo. There’s no personality to the environments, the objectives, or most of the characters. I just can’t care about this team of warriors killing wave after wave of generic nothing henchmen to foil an evil plot that looks menacing, but has no established stakes until the movie is 90% over. I get that the government has a vested interest in not having mysterious interdimensional entities establishing swirling vortexes above major cities, but if you don’t tell me what it does it becomes entirely generic.

Even if Suicide Squad were, somehow, a more interesting movie it wouldn’t save it because it’s a stunningly misogynist and racist movie. I might be at odds with some others in the comics community by saying this but I never thought Harley Quinn started as a particularly progressive character. She got there when they teamed her with Poison Ivy and there have been more and less good depictions of her over the years but this is definitely a bottom-of-the-barrel portrayal. Harley is a living breathing failure of the Bechdel Test because literally every action she takes is about a man, usually The Joker but sometimes Deadshot. It’s challenging to give this critique because Margot Robbie does such a good job taking the poorly-written character she’s given and wringing every bit of character she can out of it. There’s a moment where she turns to bow when she exits a scene that I swear is frame-for-frame perfect with an appearance on Batman: The Animated Series and that’s quite a commitment to the character.

If we want to hit sexism and racism in one character it would be in El Diablo. I’m not familiar with this version of the character at all, he must be from after my time as a regular comic book reader, but I sincerely hope that he has origins more distinct than this Mexican gangster caricature. It’s like David Ayer learned five things about Mexican gangs when he was writing Training Day and decided that he would put those things in every movie he wrote from then on. The movie also very much wants us to believe that El Diablo is the real victim of the time he got mad and incinerated his entire family in a scene that was several notches over my comfort zone in terms of similarity to real-world domestic violence. I understand that they’re trying for a metaphor here, but there’s basically no way the family man character they expect me to believe Deadpool is would be cool with what El Diablo did. Oh, and when El Diablo gets to his most powerful level, he inexplicably turns in to a giant flaming Aztec caricature, it’s very strange juxtaposed with his seemingly Catholic world view up until then. It’s as if they decided if they treated Will Smith and Viola Davis well, they could just do the rest of their minority characters as rough ethnic sketches.

I suppose I can’t get out of this without talking about Jared Leto’s performance as The Joker because of how it dominated the hype campaign for this movie despite being a vanishingly small part, all things considered. Leto does not do good work. He seems to be doing an impression of Heath Ledger’s performance from The Dark Knight but with all of the subtlety replaced by the kind of grunting you would get if you asked a 12 year-old what sex sounded like. He’s easily the worst live action depiction of the character, but you can tell that every time they called “cut” he was convinced that he nailed it. There are good acting performances in this movie, I’ve already shouted out Robbie, and think Viola Davis deserves kudos for taking a part that in another era would have faded in to the background and created one of the scariest characters in a movie that includes a crocodile monster. Will Smith is also doing good work, although we’re clearly getting “action movie” Will Smith and not “actually trying his hardest” Will Smith, but it doesn’t matter. Smith is a sublime talent as a movie star because he makes action nonsense seem serious and he nails the quiet moments as well as the funny ones.

At this point I don’t know what needs to change at DC Entertainment before they start putting out movies that aren’t dreary disasters. I suppose they would have to stop making quite so much money, but they hold their opening weekend numbers very badly and the critical derision has got to hurt especially when Marvel puts out bigger numbers and gets better reviews. I’ve heard over and over that there are shakeups internally and that things are going to get better, but it never does. The Comic Con footage of Justice League looked good but after seeing this and Batman v Superman how am I supposed to believe that the people who signed off on those movies even have any idea what a good movie looks like? It’s time for a change, but does anyone who could make that change care as long as the money comes in?

Emily S. Whitten: SDCC’s Her Universe Fashion Show

Fashion ATB

Tomorrow is the last day for the public to vote for a winner in the Her Universe fashion show that I was fortunate to see live at the San Diego Comic Con (and that you can watch as the finale of its own docu-series on the new on-demand streaming network Comic Con HQ). So what better time for my fashion show recap?

But first, a little background. The fashion show, now in its third year, was started by Ashley Eckstein of the women’s geek fashion company Her Universe to bring true haute couture to geek fashion. The show is very professionally done, with video clips of the designers talking about their inspiration and works-in-progress; models (who may also be the outfit’s designer, and who are of all different body types, which is cool) strutting their stuff on the catwalk; and a DJ to keep the party going. It also produces something that probably isn’t as tangible at regular fashion shows – a feeling of delight at seeing not just elegant, clever, or beautifully designed clothes, but also incredible homages to the geek properties we love. I’m sure I would be awed by the beauty of many designs at a regular fashion show. However, I know that the excited, happy feeling and constant smile I have while stunning fashions that demonstrate a passion for geek properties are paraded before my eyes at this show are unique.

After the show, the audience and judges each vote on their favorite design, and thus two winners are chosen. The year’s winners are then given the opportunity to collaborate on fashion lines that we, the public, can buy (yay!). The first fashion show’s winners brought us the super-successful Marvel Avengers fashion line done with Her Universe and Hot Topic (I own it, I love it, I’m overjoyed that this is a yearly thing now). After last year’s show, we got the awesome Star Wars line (when are they bringing the sweater and the Finn jacket back so I can buy them, whennnnnn??). And although we don’t know what we will see after this year’s winners get to work, I am sure the next line will also make it into my wardrobe.

Fashion L1As you may be aware from past columns and my coverage of last year’s show, I have long felt the need for better geek fashion for gals, and am super excited to be seeing more and more options. And the yearly fashion show and partnership of Her Universe and Hot Topic has definitely upped the couture aesthetic of the geek clothes available to us women. Not only do we no longer have to, e.g., wear man-shirts to let our geek flags fly, but now we even have these upscale options that wouldn’t look out of place in our daily wardrobes or even at a cocktail party. On top of that, what’s so cool about the Her Universe fashion show is that it means that we the consumers have at least a little say in the style and vision of the resulting mass-marketed pieces. That’s fairly unique in fashion.

This year’s fashion show gave us a group of twenty-seven amazing new designs to vote on, and featured a celebrity panel of judges including Cindy Levitt (Senior Vice President, Merchandise & Marketing, Hot Topic), Nathan Sawaya (World Renowned LEGO artist, and co-creator of Ashley’s dress this year), Brinton Parker (Assistant Editor of Trending and Viral Features at POPSUGAR) and last year’s fashion show winners and designers Leetal Platt and Kelly Cercone.

The judges’ winner was “Oh What A Gown…What a Lovely Gown” by Hannah Kent, inspired by Mad Max: Fury Road’s Imperator Furiosa; and the audience winner was the “I Solemnly Swear I’m Up to Couture” gown by Camille Falciola, inspired by the Maurauder’s Map in Harry Potter. These were excellent choices. I absolutely adored the way the cut of the Furiosa dress evoked both strength and severity and a feminine aspect in the tightly fitted upper body and sweeping skirt, and the use of a gradient to make the neutral palette, which completely fit with the movie’s setting, more interesting. I also loved the makeup and arm jewelry that echoed Furiosa’s look in the movie. The Map dress had a classic and flattering cut, and at first looked fairly plain, but then, through the use of ink heat technology, the Marauder’s Map appeared, producing a much more interesting design, with map accents in the right places to enhance the appeal of the cut (plus, that is a really, really cool idea and use of technology).

Although those are the winners so far, all of the designs at the show were cool and unique in their own ways. It was incredibly hard for me to choose who to vote for (while trying to consider all of the important factors like overall design aesthetic, cleverness, uniqueness, geek factor, wearability, and style); and I’m happy that at least one other designer will also be chosen through this year’s new feature of the internet audience vote. I highly encourage anyone who’s into this sort of thing to take a look at the remaining choices and cast your vote for the final winner; and to that end, I’ll share a few notes about the other creations that really landed for me (along with my photo album from the show, which has additional views of at least some of the choices).

“Diana on the Town” (Wonder Woman) by Adria Sanchez-Chaidez

A classic take on a classic character, with a modern twist. Wonder Woman is iconic and this dress went for a pretty straight homage to her costume; but I liked the retro-classic elegance of the gown offset by the shorter red skirt underneath. And of course the colors are vibrant and striking.

Yang Xiao Long: From Ballroom to Battle (RWBY – Yang Xiao Long) by Carina LaViolette

I don’t actually know this fandom; but from a purely fashion standpoint, I liked the mix of fabrics (airy and light plus leather), the visually interesting layers and accessories, the neutral to green and purple palette, and the steampunk feel.

Report to My Division (Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Captain Phasma) by Lindsay Hamilton

Well I always love silver and shiny things (and I kind of love Captain Phasma, too). But I also loved the contrast of shine with the more understated skirt; that very flattering long corset fit with the red ribbon back lacing, and the great side cape to add more to the silhouette.

Ode to the Goblin King (Labyrinth – Jareth) by Sarah Rader

Fashion LI liked the airy material and tattered layering of the light-colored dress, which had great delicate color contrasting; but I absolutely adored the contrasting blue jacket with the silver wings on the back. I’d like one, please!

First Order of Fashion (Star Wars: The Force Awakens – General Hux) by Rose Ivy

Red and black are always a great combo; but my favorite part of this outfit is that it’s sassy, fun, and fashion-forward but also something I could see myself wearing not only out somewhere cool, but also maybe even to work – a well-tailored  and skewed take on a “power suit;” which is perfect considering the source material.

The Force is Strong in Her (Star Wars: The Force Awakens – Kylo Ren) by Judith Armas Orellana

Well I definitely couldn’t wear this one to my work – but I liked the silhouette, the contrasting kinds of black, and the layering that made it look full of attitude but slightly off-balance, just like Kylo Ren. And it’s also very flattering.

Rage On (28 Days Later – The Rage Virus) by Elissa Alcala

This dress is almost disturbing, which, you know, makes sense in context. The contrast between the elegant and sparkling plunging front and the tattered skirt that is reminiscent of bloody bandages is unsettling, and I’m sure that’s what the designer intended. Although I might not know offhand of anywhere I’d wear it, I liked the way the source material didn’t take a backseat to the high fashion concept.

My Kind of Crazy (DC Comics – The Red Hood) by Lauren Andrews

I liked the contrast of the slim silhouette with the gauzy pants and elegantly draped hood on this outfit, as well as the complicated bodice. There’s a lot going on here but it doesn’t overwhelm, and it’s striking.

The Always Dress (Harry Potter – Patronus) by Selina Zawacki

I super-love everything about this outfit, and would like one now, please. The plunging neckline combined with the elegant high-low cut and simple belt accent are beautiful, and the button back is a great understated reminder of the Professor’s robes – not to mention the old-fashioned boots. The subtle green underskirt and boot laces (for Slytherin!) add good color accents. And on top of all of that, the elegantly and sparsely-lit doe patronus on the skirt is a perfect match for the design, that brings the theme home. Plus, I always like clothes that light up in cool ways!

The Car Gotham Deserves (Batman/Batman Returns – Batmobile) by Cynthia Kirkland

Okay, this dress is definitely unusual. And I have no idea where you would wear it. But the fact that someone designed a dress based on the Batmobile, and it does actually really evoke the car (plus the steering wheel accessory!) is just fantastic. Also the red under the shoulder-pieces (I think it lit up, too) was a great way to hint at brake lights on a dress that is also a car.

TARDIS Through the Wormhole (Doctor Who – TARDIS) by Lynne Marie Martens

This dress is over the top in the best way. All of those ruffles! That train! The great feathery back! The subtle lights interwoven through it all! And, of course, the actual TARDIS on the underbust corset. I love it. The colors, lights, and details of the dress really do bring to mind a wormhole; and the whole thing wouldn’t be out of place at the coolest cabaret ever.

Define Couture (Wall-E – Wall-E) by Laura Cristina Ortiz

This. Outfit. Is. So. Adorable. I love it. It’s spunky and fun and full of attitude, the color palette works well together, the skirt is too cute, the glasses are totally Wall-E and fashionable at the same time, and the overall look is very unique. Plus there’s a part in the back that lights up! It’s a perfect mix of fabrics and accessories, and looks totally modern and wearable while still referencing the source material. It’s visually interesting, and with a whole that is greater than its parts. I want!

Expecto Patronum (Harry Potter – Patronus) by Erica Williams

What an elegant, beautiful gown. The shape and fit are very classic, but with details and sparkles to make it interesting. I feel like Guinevere would totally covet this dress. And although the color palette is monochrome, the mix of fabrics makes the dress in motion more interesting than it looks in a photo. Also, the tiara of horns is the perfect finish for this Patronus dress.

The Story that Lived (Harry Potter – Book) by Tanya Apuya

A dress based on the actual book. I love it! I also love everything about this cute and clever outfit, from the “book cover” bodice to the amazingly folded and layered and swingy  skirt of text-covered pages. A great concept and execution, with cute little accents of a witch hat and wand, too.

Now that you’ve reviewed the choices, make sure you vote for a winner before midnight Pacific Time Thursday, August 11 so that you, too, can have a say in next year’s geek fashions.

And until next time, don’t forget to check out my previous SDCC coverage and photos of Nick Animation (including TMNT); American Gods; Kings of Con; and Animaniacs Live!, stay tuned for even more coverage, and Servo Lectio!

Mike Gold: Do YOU Collect Comic Books?

Phil SeulingI endured another birthday last week. This is not a big deal, I’ve had a lot of them. Of course, I never get tired of my daughter fussing over me and preparing a dinner of unimaginable excellence, but there’s a point in our lives when such an occasion prompts a review of random elements of our past. Perhaps because my birthday is smackdab in the middle of the heaviest part of convention “season,” this year my thoughts turned to the evolution of the comic book store.

The comic book store evolved from those strange stores that sold old magazines and/or were “white elephant” shops. They hardly are of recent vintage: America’s first nationally-known serial killer, H.H. Holmes, murdered dozens if not hundreds of people in his specially-built World’s Fair Hotel that had secret passageways and trap doors and sealed ersatz gas chambers. One of the few shops on the ground floor of his palace was leased to a back-issue magazine store. This happened back in 1893; the hotel was conveniently located about a mile from the blockbuster World’s Columbian Exposition. Many future shops were located in less comfortable neighborhoods.

There weren’t any comic books in 1893, but the concept of back issue comic book retailing came onto its own in the post-Wertham late 1950s. These places paved the way to what we might think of as the “comic book store.”

I say “might think” because those original comic book stores only sold back-issue comics. There were few media chachkas. After a while several cut deals with their local independent magazine distributors to get new comics in through the back door, but if a local drug or candy store complained the new comics rack in the old comics store disappeared.

New York Comic Art Convention Program 1969Then Phil Seuling happened. Phil was the lynchpin to many very important events in the evolution of comic book fandom. He started selling old comics in 1958; ten years later he hosted the first New York Comic Art Convention. In those sainted days of yore, comicons offered fans guests, panels, some movies, and a large room full of people standing behind card tables with a mass of sometimes-organized old comics, filed in all sorts of file boxes that, at the time, were not specifically manufactured for that purpose. Today, those dealers look exactly the same as they did in 1968, only older.

People came to these shows to fill in the holes in their collections while socializing with similar addicts. Eventually some of them mated, but I digress. Long-box diving became a ballet, one that also played out in those comic book shops in the low-rent neighborhoods.

Then Phil Seuling happened again. In 1972, Phil made arrangements with the comic book publishers of the time (Marvel was a bit late to commit, but only a bit) to sell brand-new comics directly to comic book shops through his East Coast Seagate Distributing company. They started out in increments of 25 and Phil said they were selling to “comic book clubs” to avoid pissing off the legitimate retailers (ha!), but the comic book medium had forever changed.

Both publishers and product grew like Topsy, and eventually some smartass revealed the “true” cost to retailers in keeping, maintaining and selling back-issues. It was a very labor-intensive vocation, at least for most retailers, and before long they needed space to sell more profitable new comics, toys, tapes, costumes, prints, cards, and, of course, POGs.

World's Fair HotelSo old comics became harder to find. No problem; the publishers were thrilled to help those who actually wanted to read their wares by reprinting those stories in books – the kind with spines. These had the added advantage of being salable in “traditional” book stores (you know, like Borders) and on that new “Amazon” thing.

Today I walk through the convention floors – they used to be called “huckster rooms” – and through comic book stores and I see a vastly diminished presence of the back issues that put fans and fandom in business. I don’t necessarily miss them, no more than I miss those great old buggy whip factories. But it makes me wonder if fans still collect old comics for the purpose of reading.

Sure, graded and entombed comic books abound, but I have no doubt that someday somebody is going to disinter one of those vacuum-sealed copies of Action Comics #3 graded at 5.8 and valued into six figures and discover the guts of Planet Terry #7.

Yep. That screaming sound you just heard came out of the guts of a couple dozen of my good friends who possess innumerable sealed rarities.

Time marches on, and I’m okay with that as long as it swiftly marches across the backside of Donald Trump. But, yeah, there’s another habit that goes as we age. It’s called “Hey, kids, get off of my lawn!”

 

Tweeks Reactions to SDCC Trailerpalooza Quick Pick Reactions

Tweeks Reactions to SDCC Trailerpalooza Quick Pick Reactions

Here’s our take on the movie trailers released at San Diego Comic Con last month.

Justice League

Anya: Eh. It doesn’t look that good and there’s nothing that sets it apart from other superhero movies. I’ve noticed lately when watching the trailer that it’s the same thing for every movie. Some dramatic music plays and then one of the main characters gives an inspirational speech. Then, while he’s still talking, the trailer cuts to clips of people fighting, training, and making out. Then, the music cuts out for the comic relief to make one or two jokes. Finally, the music intensifies and a bunch of clips are cut together an play really fast. Then, the character finishes his face and the movie info appears on the screen.

Maddy: It looks okay but I’m probably not gonna go see it. Also, when Bruce Wayne is Batman he grows more stubble and his voice gets deeper? What’s up with that? Also, I like how Wonder Woman was in it twice. Just twice.

Wonder Woman

Anya: This one looks better, but I’m not super excited for it. I might go see it but it’s not getting me hyped as a 13 year old girl. Really the only thing intriguing to me about it is that it’s Wonder Woman because honestly it looks like the other 20 superhero movies that have come out in the past ten years.

Maddy: I am super excited for this actually. This is I think the first major movie starring a female superhero and it’s really groundbreaking. The costumes look fantastic and Gal Gadot looks like she will be phenomenal.

Suicide Squad

 

Anya: First of all, TWENTY ONE PILOTS!!!!!!! I think theSuicide Squad soundtrack is probably one of the best summer albums. Second, this is the movie I’m looking forward too the most. It just looks better than the other movies we’ve seen so far because it just seems so different.

Maddy:  ASDJEFHUWHUIHJYEGW!  I’M SO EXCITED!!!!!!!! I’ve been hyped about this movie since it was first announced and I’ve pre-ordered the soundtrack and I know all the words to everything except “Purple Lamborghini” because that just came out. I’m genuinely OBSESSED. I’ll be wearing a Daddy’s Little Monster shirt when I see it opening day!

The Lego Batman Movie

Anya: So, this movie just looks like it’s the story of Robin told by Legos, I guess? It looks good and it looks like something I’ll probably see while babysitting but not something I’d rush to the theater to see.

Maddy: I agree, it looks pretty good, maybe not for your teenage girl demographic.  Also, these type of movies are super impressive because they’re so hard to make. Good job, technical team!

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them

Anya: It looks so good! I cannot wait to see this one. I think that the costumes are really good. I like the 1920’s. They had great clothes back then.

Maddy: I’m gonna be walking into the theatre chanting NEWT SCAMANDER! NEWT SCAMANDER! NEWT SCAMANDER! and some people will be like “Oh yeah, me too!” but others will be like, “Who is she and what is her damage?”  I’m so excited to see a J.K. Rowling movie in theaters! 

Doctor Strange

Anya: I might be more hyped for this than Suicide Squad, but I don’t know. The whole thing is so trippy, it looks so cool!  Also, Benedict Cumberbatch is amazing and I’m so excited for everything except the beard. It makes him look so scraggly.

Maddy: WHOOOOOHOOO! IT’S BENEDICT CUMBERBATCH!!!! This movie looks trip, like Anya said. I’m really excited. I love optical illusions and stuff so this’ll be cool. AND THE CAPE THING WAS SO COOL. It just snapped on like “whoa.”

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