In issue 41, I had to abruptly cut-off my MCs. I had notes, highlights, etc. I was just out of time. I made a commitment at the end of the MCs that I would finish the issue off and post them on the PL blog. Hence, my final three MCs to issue 40 are being posted here.
Zarko's Ramblings (Rich): I like the fact that the Avengers roster rotates. I always looked forward to the books that announced a new team. If I saw a cover promising a new team, I almost certainly picked it up... and then rarely would buy subsequent issues. Still, I like the rotating team in theory... *** So, did Aaron work this summer? I remember something my parents told me when I told them I wanted to get a job: You have the rest of your life to work. They wanted me to put it off as long as possible! But I wanted money... wanted more comics, toys, etc. So eventually I went out to where my sister had worked and used her as a reference to get my first job as a restaurant "host" at age 15. It all worked out fine in the end, but who knows what kind of fun I missed out by having one more summer of being a lazy bum? *** Looking forward to seeing your new short story. That sounds like a great day of writing. Did you have any homemade beer to help the creative juices? *** Cheers, Big Al! *** Oh, Big Al's wedding, killing me! It always happens that way... some event hits the calendar on just the worst day possible. But you'll remember that, because you weren't able to go to the event that you really wanted to. But the day the calendar works out in your favor? That's forgotten, because you don't remember that Big Al's wedding was over by 3 p.m., enabling you to see the Stones, or whatever -- you just remember that you got to see the Stones. *** That would be an awesome thing, to run in the Boston Marathon. And your comment about being more likely to do that than break into comics... why not do both? But also: one you're in total control of. The other (comics) has more of an outside force involved. So it's not an unfair comment... but just try to remain positive (and I think you are). It'll be a big beer-swilling event when we're celebrating your first comics AND your time at the Boston Marathon, right? *** Looking forward to your beer-brewing story. My friend, Neuty, brews his own beer and I enjoy the end product. I don't brew beer, but I did have a recent beer success... this weekend, me and the wife went out and bought a KEGERATOR. I currently have, not even 6 feet away from my keyboard, have a cold keg of Boulevard Unfiltered Wheat on tap. I've had it up and operating since Sunday. It's glorious. *** I remember yelling at friends if they, say, used a comic as a coaster for their can of soda. I was pretty wild about the condition of my comics back then, too. *** Lucky you, not getting selected for jury duty. I'm sure they'll never take me. I'll always have something (too white, too liberal, a journalist) to disqualify me. *** That's probably a good call on the 8A1 league for Zeke. No sense rushing him, let him enjoy it at whatever level for as long as possible -- as long as he's enjoying it. *** Zeke's goal was one of the best stories we've had in the APA in a while -- of course I remember! *** That's bullshit about the unfair ice time for Zeke. Especially if it's a lower division, the coaches should be more focused on fun. Here's what happened to me: I was one of the slower 2nd graders (I'm talking running, not academically!) and my soccer coach didn't play me much. My dad is a military guy, and he can get pretty hot when he's pissed off. The game was over, I'm kinda bumming because I watched most of the game from the sideline. My dad rolls right past me in total hulk-out mode and starts chewing out the coach. The coach, a little guy, looks at my dad and shouts, "If you don't like it, YOU come out here and coach his team next year!" And my dad yells, "I will, and we'll kick your ass!" And guess what? My dad coached every single team I played on from that point until I got into junior high (and there were paid coaches). We won some, we lost some, but everyone loved playing for my dad because he stressed fun and equal playing time. And we beat that coach on a few occasions, too, but not all the time. That was always the rivalry game for us. Anyway, I'm glad my dad did that for me, and I think it made me stick with sports at a young age when I could have easily given it up. I was never all-state or anything, but I had a decent cross county career, and a pretty good basketball career until my senior year of high school, when I couldn't get off the bench. *** I'm not going to re-read this entire story right now, but after first reading, near the graph with the clip art hockey player, I wrote in the margin, "This is set up nicely." *** Man, your son is the rabbit foot for these hockey teams! Great story. Cool photo! Which one is Zeke? *** How is Brand New Day doing now? I almost picked up the hardback at the book store the other day, but it was $25. Too rich for my blood. I went and bought the Spider-Man Magazine # 2 for $7 instead. That magazine is awesome, I'll have to write a review on it next issue... ***I agree, it's like they went back to basics on Spidey. Every once in a while they have to figure that out. Keep it simple, stupid. *** I DEMAND covers that depict something that is going on in the interior! What's the point of a pin-up every month! Show me something that's inside that issue! Titillate me a little! *** Yes, I love that irreverent tone Spidey had in the 60s. *** I plan on reading the Umbrella Academy some day. I'd rather not line Gerard Way's pockets anymore, though. Hopefully Danny, or someone, can loan me a copy. *** Michael Clayton was awesome, agreed. Re: YCT Trav about iPods at the gym: Sometimes I enjoy them, sometimes they distract me. If I'm running or biking, it's unnecessary. If I'm lifting weights? The iPod is almost mandatory. It's like the weight lifting coach yelling at you to PUSH!!! *** Hell no I didn't try the hulk roller coaster (at Universal Studios). Me and roller coasters don't mix. *** Yeah, it only takes me and Adro 15 minutes to get to work (we work in the same office). It's 5 miles to the office and it's on the exact opposite side of Lawrence. There are no highways, it's all in-city driving, and it pisses me off sometimes. But yeah, I have to realize that we're lucky we only have a 15-minute drive to get to the office. *** In hindsight, I wish I would have put more popular songs on my iPod during the video, but I really just went with what was on at that moment. Don't feel badly that you didn't know any of the bands; most were relatively new to me as well. *** Thanks for watching, and commenting on, that video, btw. *** Re: recognizing your records by the grooves -- That's pretty cool, and I totally believe it/understand it. I was reading a magazine the other day and they made mention of some German dude who in 1978 claimed he could read his records by looking at them... they acted like this was insane, the guy was Rain Man, but I can totally understand it. It's like comic prices in 1986 -- I had that damn comic book price guide memorized back then. Or telling the year of a comic by simply looking at the cover. A serious collector can look at almost any comic and tell what year it was produced within two years either way. When you're this close to a hobby, you really learn the intricacies of it. *** Great issue, Zarko.
Momento Morti # 1 (me): Hey, I kinda like my cover. Not bad for last-second. *** Re: "Word of the Day" breakout-box -- OK, this is where I made the joke about 'sciolism.' I said I 'have a friend who likes big words,' bla bla bla. I'd like to apologize publicly to Travis, who mistakenly thought I was writing about him! I wasn't. I actually wasn't writing about anyone in this APA, honestly. I was writing about a friend outside the APA who fits the description of sciolist way better than Trav. So why write about him? Honestly, I was trying to make a funny. I'm trying to make my zine better. Now that I'm not in charge of the APA, I have more time to focus on my zine. And I want to return it to its full glory; I want to entertain. I want to evoke a laugh from you people. The breakout box is basically my attempt at some brief stand-up comedy in the pages of my zine. So, no, Trav, I wasn't talking about you, and I'm sorry you were pissed off for a day or two before emailing me and asking me about it. I think you do just fine with the 12-point words you use, especially in the context of the APA. After all, this is a literate group. Now, if you were ever eyewitness to my friend who I was pegging as the sciolist (and the conundrum of using the word sciolist -- the dichotomy -- see, that's the FUNNY PART!!!) you'd get what I was saying. *** Michael Turner, RIP. *** FF comic! YES! I'm still happy I did this, but you can really see how I don't take the project seriously until the 5th page or so -- my lettering is just TERRIBLE up until then, and it only gets a little better after that.
AJASONT (Arnett): Hey man! *** Your opening writing, 'On excellence,' seems a little rambly to me. At first I thought it was going to be about church/state, then it's about Bush being a moron and the current election, then about the economy. There are some good thoughts here, it's just not as tight as other things I've read from you -- I'm assuming this was hastily put together, and that's totally cool. *** Good luck with the walking, man. The weather has been gorgeous in Lawrence of late; I hope your knee is better! *** Fight gravity. Always fight it. All our lives. It will be defeated. *** Re: alternative spelling -- I didn't notice you spelled it 'comics' when I read it, but then you made mention of 'comix' and I felt myself get kind of sad. Do what you want, spell it however you want, it's only a word, BUT one thing Pulp Legacy was never intended to do was to make someone assimilate. That's the antithesis of this APA, in my mind, man. And I'm not condemning anyone -- the 'anti-comix conspirators' or you or me or anyone. I just don't want this place to ever dampen someone's creative fire. *** I made dinner tonight and me and my nuclear family (wife, kid, mother-in-law and me) sat around a dining room table and ate. I love those moments. It's my hope that my family will keep that Jones family tradition alive for generations to come. *** This is your 'angry issue,' I think. S'all good! Looking forward to more from you in issue 41.
Rock Chalk Jayhawk (Jones, Bown, Arnett): thanks to all who contributed. It's kind of sad that it had such a limited response, but Will did make mention of it (the KU championship) in his zine, and the other five members I asked, with the exception of Bart, rarely contribute anymore, so no big deal. The idea I had in my mind would have been pretty cool though, I think, as what the three of us came up with is exactly the kind of thing I was hoping for. Three different Jayhawk fans all sharing what they saw from their perspective. How often do you see literary sports fans sharing a team and writing about it? Kind of an unusual confluence of sports and geek. *** I re-read my excerpt and I'm glad I wrote that... I think there will be some details lost in the next 50 years or so, and I'll hopefully have these personal memories of the 2008 team to look back on. *** Great photo with yours, Copy J! *** I love the background you included about the way Kansas is divided with KU/KSU. *** My favorite sentence of yours was when you wrote, "If you've never experienced the thrill of having 'your team' win the big one, you just don't know what it means to live." That means a lot coming from you, because you're a pretty sage guy in my book, and I wouldn't describe you as a hardcore sports fan... you have other primary hobbies (bad movies being No. 1, from my outsider's perspective). So, to see you write that, that carries a lot of weight to me, and I'm glad you wrote it because it makes me realize that it really is special, I'm not just being a sports nerd, this is really something you have to cherish. *** thanks for getting this in there Copy, I really appreciate your insights on the 2008 season. *** Arnett, I love it! HA! I wasn't the only one who jinxed them -- you and your damn voice message! Whew! Between your voice message, my laundry and the 9-point deficit with two minutes left, it's amazing we overcame it all!!! *** I physically felt the relief when we pushed it to overtime. I KNEW. I turned to my mother-in-law and told her right then, "We're winning this game." You saw Memphis dejectedly walk off the court. You saw Darrell Arthur LEAP to the bench... I'm amazed not that we dominated overtime, but that we didn't accidentally KILL any of the Tigers in OT with a nasty dunk! Lervik called me up, and we were both like, "Dude, this game is over! Memphis is done!" What a great moment. As soon as I'm done posting this, I'm firing up the DVD again. Goddammit, I'm fired up right now!!! *** Thanks for participating Jason, I loved what you had to write!
On that note, I'm out of here. I'm happy I actually fulfilled my promise to get these MCs done -- they've been bothering me for a while. I've got another writing project I NEED to get to, but this one just sort of started happening and now it's done.
I'm looking forward to really diving into issue 41 soon... I've skimmed parts already, and it really does look like a great issue.
Later, all.
Seth
Lawrence, Kan.
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2 comments:
Re: the alternate spelling of comics: I dunno, sometimes it seems appropriate to use the 'x' and sometimes it doesn't. I'm not sure what my rationale is from time to time, but if I notice I've written it one way I don't go back and change it if I write it another way later on. I suppose it could be a style choice (hopefully a charming and not-too-distracting one) but it's more likely just lazy.
Yeah, it was a very loosely assembled group of thoughts there in that issue. It's been a wild ride of a year so far, and I don't really see it changing. I know I need to tighten up the writing (and I'm trying to write essays) but I'm having a problem with being distracted far too easily these days. I've got so much in my head that I've taken to just writing random things down. I've even thought about doing a Twitter-styled submission this time around.
Not sure if I will or if I'll just punk out and throw something together again.
Time will tell, I guess.
Thanks for your comments, Seth. They really are constructive and helpful. When I decide to be some kind of serious writer, I'll definitely ask you to edit me.
It's only been a year and a half. Heck, I'm less caught-up with my e-mail and people still reply to the stuff I send out.
Grr... mailing comments in the blog. I don't know where I've stood with this in the past but I hate stuff spilling out of the APA and into other places. (Other places spilling into the APA, however, are perfectly acceptable). I like all the APA stuff being concentrated in one place -- the APA. But at least none of those are for me.
Your parents let you put off working? It seems my parents wanted me working as soon as I could (even if it was just picking up trash on my dad's construction). I learned to work hard at an early age. It built my character. And even if I didn't have a job that paid money, I was working on my own projects. So I don't recall ever having an extended time where I could be a bum. You guys are spoiled.
Why WOULDN'T you get pissed at someone who uses a comic as a coaster? No matter if it's a comic or something else, that's just a lack of respect for your stuff. Even if it was a magazine, that could be an important one. Yeah, some people leave them laying around but certainly if it was at the house of someone who's a comics fan, that comic left out might be by accident. That's just rude.
That's a(nother) great story about your dad. I could see you doing the same thing.
Hey, man, Gerard Way did a good story and he deserves as many rewards as possible for it. Alan Moore is a bit of an asshole and he's already got bunches of money but people still give him more because he creates stuff that's worth it (or at least he did until fairly recently). Way's book is even good enough that I can separate it from not liking his band.
I think I'd go the opposite way with iPods at the gym: I get bored with running or biking and music gives me something to focus on. Lifting weights, hearing music would distract me.
I don't know if I could tell you the year that a comic was made by looking at the cover (well, maybe, but you'd have give me a few years, plus or minus) but I have a talent for knowing when songs came out. Sometimes the music channel will be on TV and, without looking at the screen, I'll call out the year of the song that's on and my sister will tell me if I'm right. It's one of the few times I've ever impressed her.
You really left comments on your own zine?
I've never thought your zine was anything less than glorious. I know how much work you put into it and it shows. Always worth reading.
You don't have to assimilate but it's always good to follow some kind of logic and have some consistency.
I miss the family dinners I had when I was younger and I know now that I took them for granted. Now my family is so fragmented that it's rare that everyone gets together for dinner (and hard enough getting 16 people around one table) and everyone has their own stuff going on that it's hard to get everyone there at the same time, with the same focus. But it's nice when it happens and it's great with a smaller group of people.
Sometimes I feel on the outside, not being a Jayhawk. The APA used to be about comics but now it seems more about KU and Lawrence. Which is cool. But if I can't come up with stuff for my zine because it's so off-topic, I'm going to start including male porn again.
I'm also glad that I did these comments on your mailing comments. I actually have only been saving them for a few months, since I came across them on the blog, which I'd been away from for a while (for about a year and a half). My streak of mailing comments continues unbroken, in the pages of the APA or -sigh- on here.
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