New Additions To The Family

Yay. Today, a new trio of hermit crabs has come to stay with us. They're already pretty lively and getting a sense of their new home, where they'll be well-fed and warm. But I should say there is no immediate truth to the rumor that I drop my speaking fee by 10% with the gift of sea monkeys or hermit crabs.

On my reading list: Nextwave

From a comics point of view, I'll look back on 2006 as a year marked with some real gems, but sadly most of them also ended, were one-shots or are ending. The Losers and The Punisher: Tyger are two particular examples that come to mind, but the one I'll really be sad to see going is Nextwave: Agents of H.A.T.E.

Written by Warren Ellis, it's a hilarious respite from comics who have been taking themselves way too seriously, bludgeoning us with irritating year-long cross-over mega-maxi-events aping the Crisis on Infinite Earths. (Civil War and 52 can end any minute now, thank you...)

Nextwave is absurd and refreshing with great characters and stories told in two-issue arcs. The recently released hardcover collects the first 6 issues and is a great introduction to the series.

Ellis described Nextwave as "an absolute distillation of the superhero genre. No plot lines, characters, emotions, nothing whatsoever. It’s people posing in the street for no good reason. It is people getting kicked, and then exploding. It is a pure comic book, and I will fight anyone who says otherwise. And afterwards, they will explode."

And you know what, it works. I'd especially recommend it for those who grew up reading comics during the 1980s and 90s. Check it out.

President Sharkey The Impaler

I'm amusing way too easily these days.

But it looks like it's true:
Jonathon "The Impaler" Sharkey is running for President in 2008 on the vampire... I mean, Independent ticket. You can check out his forms here.

Apparently he was found not guilty on all of the other business, and he's back in action at http://www.theimpalerforpresident2008.us

And he has a documentary out about him. No, not Sharkey's Machine. It's Impaler, A Satanic Vampire Runs for Governor at http://www.impalerthemovie.com/

I think there are still some parts of his foreign and domestic policy to flesh out, but I will say this: While some may resent the fact that he's running on pure moxy at this point, my immediate retort to those who'd outright dismiss his candidacy is:

Yeah, like we did soooo much better the last time.

Although this is an EXTREME example, I'm going to go out on a limb here and say: If we don't want the United States to be a plutocracy or to fall under the sway of oil and energy dynasties who willfully compromise our civil liberties, then we need to work to create a system in which ANY American has an equal chance for election.

It's time to make the United States of America live up to its promises.

Now, I'm not saying vote for any person who just comes along, but come 2008, I'm voting for the one who convinces ME with their vision, and not the one who convinces some party machine.

Now, if Sharkey could find some way to bring back Emperor Norton, as his running mate, I'd be paying a lot of attention. And as a final note? At least he's up-front about his 'evil.' :)

Gojira Shaped Building? We can only hope!

Our good buddy Wah-Ming Chang (the live writer living in New York, not the dead ones) sent over a note to Tripmaster Monkey about the recent post by Ironic Sans regarding the theoretical possibility of a Godzilla-shaped building in Japan. It's too good to keep quiet. :)

To Dream The Impossible Dream.

This would make it one of the only buildings in the world I'd happily pay money to see built.

As the creator of Giant Lizard Theater, I heartily endorse this 'project' ;)

Even if no one else is even seriously thinking about making it right now.

Thanks, Ironic Sans!