thoughts from a cheap motel

Entropy is obviously real, as all things do meet their end. Life on this world is nothing but impermanence. Yet the personal need and want for survival contradicts this. But how to go about such a thing?
Might cannot make right, as the law of the jungle is never not self-destruction, eventually. War is unequivocally wrong. In singular terms, a physical mentality can generally hope for little more than the life of a laborer, discounting military or criminal pursuits. If might does not make right, then what does? Reason? That is demonized too readily, and beginning quite early on, in our programing. Faith? That is more of a coping mechanism than anything else, and it certainly does not pertain to literal survival, as survival is very much a physical thing. Which would also again rule out Reason.
If whatever compels us to endure our lives are in fact relatable to Reason and/or Faith, then these are introverted agents of the psyche. Faith in its purest and most useful form is a very personal thing, useless in affecting those around us. Reason can be utilized as a tool for managing one's own sanity, or for better understanding the world around us in the broadest sense imaginable, but Reason cannot unto itself ensure daily survival in any typical extroverted existence.
If nothing lasts, and if nothing is truly important in the physical world (regardless of beliefs, you cannot take it with you), and if physical survival is ultimately impossible for fragile and finite beings such as we, then the only survival that matters is the construction and development of one's own psyche. Only in explorations of pure consciousness do we come closest to a sense of timelessness. Ambition and pride are distractions then, nothing less than vain attempts at masquerading one's physical survival for something more meaningful.
Aside from sex, no meaning exists to be found in the physical. Real meaning can come only from the internal then, not external. Individuality, as a virtue, by my definition is not the assertion of the individual upon others, it is the separation of the individual from others.

(and of course, I am still not working.)

nine eleven truth

Currently reading the late, great Howard Zinn's A People's History Of The United States, and compared to the "reality" teevee of this day, I am astonished at how easily we forget that this nation has always had a sinfully successful PR department. Even in the time of the American Revolution, over a fifth of the population were slaves, and over 90% of the nation's wealth was in the possession of less than 10% of the total population (today's numbers are even worse).
Even fifty years after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, with that "all men are created equal" jazz, the only persons who could legally vote in any election were specifically property-owning white men. No slaves (blacks or indians), no indentured servants, no laborers, and certainly no women. That equates to less than one-sixth of the total population. Democracy has never worked. As Orwell said, some are more equal than others.

I am not a "truther" per se (such a nihilist I cannot even believe in labels, especially labels that overstate the obvious), but Tower 7?

C'mon, kids...

nine eleven

the lyrics, by Robert Plant:

Then, as it was, then again it will be
And though the course may change sometimes
Rivers always reach the sea
Behind skies of fortune, each has gentle rain
On the wings of maybe, downy birds of prey
Kind of makes me feel sometimes, didnt have to go
But as the eagle leaves the nest, it's got so far to go

Changes fill my time, baby, thats alright with me
In the midst I think of you, and how it used to be

Did you ever really need somebody, and really need em bad
Did you ever really want somebody, the best something you ever had
Do you ever remember me, baby, did it feel so good
Cause it was just the first time, and you knew you would

Dewy eyes now sparkle, senses grown keen
Taste your love along the way, see your feathers preen
Kind of makes me feel sometimes, didnt have to go
We are eagles of a nest, the nest is in our soul

Vixen in my dreams, with great surprise to me
Never thought I'd see your face the way it used to be
Oh darlin, oh darlin

I'm never gonna leave you. I never gonna leave
Holdin on, ten years gone
Ten years gone, holdin on, ten years gone...

Stargazer 2

Created, Written & Illustrated by Von Allan

In the first book of Stargazer, young Marnie suffers the loss of her dear grandmother, only to be taken away from the heartache by a strange device willed to the girl. Marnie, along with pals Sophie and Elora, discover a curious land of fantasy inhabited by strange occurrences, and even a friendly robot. Lost in this magical setting, the girls soon wonder whether they are being prompted further by a ghostly stranger who may or may not be a shade of Marnie's grandmother, as a longboat brings them to a mysterious tower.

In this concluding chapter to Von's fantastical coming of age tale, the girls finally reach the towering structure, as well as meeting a group of new friends, but the mysteries only deepen. Elora is plagued by a very intense dream, and soon all the girls begin questioning the reality around them as they experience unearthly abilities along with a monster attacking repeatedly. Trapped inside the tower the girls find only skeletons and weird machines and more questions.
What I like most is the way Von's characters sound exactly like children, in a greatly realistic way. This is not dumbed down characterization, but rather stripped of popular culture the pure innocence is allowed to present itself more fully. These are not action heroes or super-powered adventurers, and they are not delved hipdeep in politics and theology. These are kids caught in a bizarre world, learning the definitions of their own still-forming identities through the crucible of experience. If only more authors of funny books could apply such thought to their creations.

Von's art is wonderful, black and white but full of powerful imagination. His storytelling and his expressive visual creations are boldly mature and self-confidant. His linework has somehow grown since his first graphic novel effort, with the nuances of his designs proclaiming even more overtly the personalities involved in his fiction. I just cannot imagine the man writing for another artist, or illustrating the story of another. His circle is already complete. The final atmosphere is so distinct you can almost sense the organic gesticulations of his characters, as though watching them on film.

Much fiction today can be readily dismissed as escapist fare, regardless of medium or content. This is at times, I feel, an incomplete description- especially when education is a factor. Equally, much family-friendly reading material can receive as labeling the derogatory relegation to a kind of shallowness. With Stargazer, Von Allan has skillfully shown that not only can all-ages material be sharp and thoughtful enough to appeal to wide ranges of age, but that such can even be accomplished through the utilization of archetypes almost Jungian in effect. Here the reader can find virginal examples of youthful friendship and awakening consciousness faced with fantasy elements as hard to cope with as the stark grimness of literal death. We see the monster, the larger on the inside tower, the alien sky, all suggestive as physical insinuations of the confounding nature of adolescence and puberty itself; and the addictive dizziness of "make-believe" that all persons experience before maturity but continue to experience as nocturnal dream throughout adulthood. This is a tale of children merely playing, on one hand, but also a tale of children finding in fantasy a thing as terrifying as anything the real world could ever manage to offer. In the metaphorical convergence of reality with childhood fantasy, the reader is shown in finite form a story where the threshold into the adult world is fully breached, with no turning back, even if the cost is the exchanging of realities for the promise of love. What an insightful message to see exampled in an all-ages, family-friendly comic book. But don't let that lofty attempt at a description bog down the potential reader. This is absolutely fun and original stuff, to be sure, and I promise you will be zealously frustrated at reaching the story's end. I am not keen on still doing reviews, but when something is this good, I cannot help myself.

This closing chapter of the Stargazer graphic novel series will be available on October 12, 2011. It has a Diamond Item Code of AUG111259 and an ISBN of 978-09-781237-4-1. More information about Stargazer can be found here.

Stiletto 9

Created, Written & Illustrated by John B. Lai
Published by Ultimate Comics Group

I happen to like this series, and Lai was kind enough to share his latest iss with me, so a review is in order. Last issue, our now raven-haired but still lithe heroine and her pet puppy-monster Rigby found a new friend in Ren, an Asian answer to Flash Gordon. Although a pleasant reprieve was had by all, especially in light of all the intergalactic warfare of the last arc, the search for home continues.
Well, Stiletto finally crosses a line with this iss, and I have to say the progression was both natural and highly warranted. For a two-dimensional lady Stiletto has more depth than any of our current presidential candidates. After an extended goodbye session with their new ally, company parts as the heroic Ren must return to planet Kadra to do assorted heroic things. Continuing her quest for home (and her by now very lonely other pup Holly), Stil and Rigs land on a planet populated by the large-brained Cerebrals creatures. Learning that big brains get as hot and horny as do little brains, she meets elements both good and nefarious. Wackiness insues and our topless adventuress runs right into a Three Way intersection of bounty-hunting trouble.
Lai's art is still bright and fun. While his panels seem to be getting at once both larger in size and fewer in number, his blend of photo-realism with crayon-esque etchings balanced over elaborately gorgeous digitally painted backdrops is wonderfully easy on the eyes. There is just so much imagination in these pages, it is borderline intoxicating in effect. I do have a qualm though, as the lettering style used by the Cerebrals was at times small and hard to make out. However, the iss all in all continues a great science fiction adventure, with plenty of crude humor and innuendo all over the place, from dialogue to buildings and ships. This comic book is not for children, and not for the easily offended. It is though, for people not too ashamed and preprogrammed to admit that yes, sex is in fact the most fun in the omniverse. And wisely keeping tongue firmly planted in proverbial cheek, Lai still pulls off his interstellar romp without resorting too far into gross pornography. This is way more evolved and colorful than that.
"Giving you all three of my inputs while staring into deep space was the most romantic thing I've ever experienced." Silly, yes. But still maybe the best line I've read in a comic all year. For something quite a bit different, please consider checking out this series.

Agnew says

My friend John Chihak is on a mission. Last year he did a limited run of his Agnew Chainsaw Massacre book through his own Anti-Hero Brand label. I have known John for awhile, interviewed him and reviewed a number of his stories, and I still believe that the book in question is his best effort to date. So, he is trying to attain funding through kickstarter for a proper run so that more folks can see the crazy lil tale that John and friend Venus of Necro put together, homaging Mary Shelley and Jim Henson in equal parts. I know several persons who have tried this through kickstarter, with extremely mixed results. Essentially, anyone and everyone is invited to donate whatever they can towards the cause, with a nice list of happy returns based on the amount given. If the target amount is not reached, then none of the donations will be accepted.
The Agnew Chainsaw Massacre rightly deserves wider exposure. When you hear the phrase "support small press" this is exactly what is meant.

To learn more:
My review of the book (originally commissioned for zedura magazine).
My interview with John and Venus for BleedingCool.
His kickstarter page.
And for extra love:
John's old interview for comicnews.info.
My review of his flagship title Youth In Asia #1 (originally posted at cni).
My review for Youth In Asia #2 and 3 (originally posted at cni).

ante up the coffers

Here's something I have not heard anyone propose, as far as debt solutions and the ongoing national economic crisis goes. Let's remove all churches from tax-exempt status.
Think about it. We could reserve tax-exempt status strictly for the non profit charity organizations. While many churches (and of course here in the states the largest religious body is Christian, though what I suggest would pertain to all denominations of all faiths) do engage in non profit charity work, this is far from the majority of their activities. So, we should tax churches just as we tax any other business, because, churches are by nature wealth-building organizations. While corporations can still engage in occasional charity work, so too could the church. Equally, as corporations are allowed to lobby for and endorse their select political candidates through PACs and Super-PACs, churches already have free reign to dance the dance, but with no checks and balances.
Since the separation of church and state is a never-ending debate, even less likely are the chances of a separation of state and business interests. Money dominates in Western Capitalism, money talks. And if religious agendas are given so much weight in modern politics, from abortion litigation to teaching Creationism in public schools to challenging climate change, then religious institutions should be made to pay for their seat at the table.
I do not see this as any violation of our freedom of religion. Persons are allowed to go into business for themselves while still expected to pay the mandatory federal taxes where appropriate. Obviously, persons could also pursue their faith of choice. However, since many activities and agendas of the churches behind said faiths have little or nothing to do with non-profit charity work then they should at last be contributing and paying their share.
Again using Christianity as my prime example, keep in mind that the Vatican is one of the wealthiest, debt-free nations in the history of our world. How many millions have been paid out in the USA alone, in the past decade, over settling child molestation cases out of court? If anything, this would be a great excuse for all churches to keep cleaner accounting records, thereby improving their own money management.
Also, consider how religious-based lobby groups comprise some of the most powerful lobbying networks in the country. What right has any church to affect politics so deeply, without having to pay their share of tax monies? Legitimate, federally-recognized non profit charity groups should by nature be apolitical. Any exception should then pay the piper.
This wouldn't pay the national debt outright, but it would certainly help. And as this government is incapable of existing without a tax program, here we could find a new source for tax revenue by taxing those institutions who have dodged the bullets for years and years, instead of hitting the lower or middle or upper classes any more.
All's fair, right?

black and white, easy on the grays

I have some thoughts where concerns the current state of affairs with both DC and Marvel that I would like to share here and now while I am in the momentarily same dimension as a computer.
DC's in effect drastic overhaul of an effort at revamping its entire line of comics seems to be off to a fair start in terms of pre-sales, but of course this can only be short-lived. If larger numbers of issue runs alone can supposedly frighten away new readers, then how can said same new readers still be expected to hang around, even in spite of numerical resets? Really, what mentality is being sought, being favored? And what happens when the short attention spans of most regular modern readers continues on? What really bothers me, beyond the severity of an executive order brought to life, is that the decision is left to flavor of the month creators to pick and choose from the many decades of story history exactly which elements shall remain in this DCU2.0. Think about those implications.
With Marvel, specifically the recent and abysmal litigation over the work of Jack the King Kirby and his heirs, we see concreted that the legal system of our nation is fine with the fact that rights of individuals are indeed less equal than those of corporate entities. Common decency simply has no further place, not in the business world, and not in the courtroom. It wasn't that long ago that current Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney was quoted as saying that corporations are people too.
Now, I just completed a rereading of George Orwell's 1984, and I believe Orwell was rather quick in ruling out the chances of Capitalism living on within his nightmare vision of the future. The greed inherent in consumerism and commercialism is just too ingrained in our Western culture. Where regards both Marvel and DC: I do like many of their characters and properties, and I love the work of oh so many of their past creators- the writers and artists who gave these suit and ties something to cockfight over. But to see both the talent and the stories created so easily manipulated for no reason other than obvious attempts at monetary gain, and at the ultimate expense of the fanbase, confirms in my mind that...not only is "creative industry" an oxymoron, it is a true example of Orwell's doublethink. As such, we shouldn't be at all shocked by the continuing disintegration of the comic book medium, we should instead be shocked that it has survived as long as it has, as sado-masochistic as our society is.
But as ever, the world is what we make it to be, nothing more and nothing less. Please, always remember those implications, too.

forgiveness is never not a trojan horse

Ah, perfectly imperfect September, how I doth loathe thee something fierce.
I am giving myself perhaps too much time to think, if such a thing is even possible these days. In avoiding proper lodging and sleep in general and employment of any kind I find myself entertaining streams of thought not breeched often enough in my world. Is the snake shedding its skin then, or is the skin shedding its snake? Is self-abasement not the grandest form of Initiative? And how might a one be lonelier than a zero?
Everything exists only to distract us from the fact that nothing exists. Nothing really matters, in the end or otherwise.
Nothing.