July 2004 Blog Archive

From www.gravyboy.com

July 28, 2004

I’m big on making up my own meaning to songs. Especially the cryptic ones. In fact, I think I tend to be drawn to songs whose lyrics are pretty nonsensical on the surface. This is because I’ll usually make up the subject matter or story in my head. Who cares what the songwriter meant? If it comes through my speakers, I own it. I can do whatever I like. And there’s nothing the songwriter can do about it.

Color me drunk on power.

There are times, however, when the lyrics might have been better off cryptic. Instead the writer settled for insipid. I cannot salvage that. A good melody may try to do so, but when all is said and done it seems that what’s on the radio these days is stealing parts of my life in compact, two minute segments. Bad pop music will one day whittle me down to a mass of intellectual putty.

I know this is the case because my ability to perform simple mathematical calculations has been replaced by the lyrics to Ice Ice Baby. If there’s a problem, yo, I’d solve it, but my multiplication tables have been usurped by the lyrical styling of Robert Van Winkle.

They say that those who are good at music also excel at math. I must have missed that boat, because my brain, while tenaciously holding onto every minute detail of every song I know, makes me physically uncomfortable when confronted with math. If you would like me to play Mozart or Joplin on the piano, or figure out a bluegrass run on the guitar, then I’m your guy….but please don’t ask me to do math. The results you get will be questionable at best and may include letters and drawings of cute girls.

 

-Brian

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July 23, 2004

On the Comic Book Resources Message Board there was a discussion about the Best/Worst/Oddest use of superheroes in advertisements.  Marty contributed his discovery of an old 70's Mego commercial.

 

The Mego toys were, for those who don't remember, action figures based on comic book characters (I'm not sure if they did other characters).  At this website, this guy posted the commercial commenting on the completely clueless narration overdubbed onto it.  For example...Green Arrow is "that crime fighter from the forest."  And Black Falcon is that great BLACK superhero" (emphasis in the commercial)....anyway, you get the idea.   Check it out...It's pretty funny.

 

 

 

-Brian

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July 18, 2004

So Marty hangs around on the Comic Book Resources forums where a lady posted a script that was written by her 5 year old son.  Marty, in a gesture of good will and corporate boredom decided to put the Microsoft Clip Art Gallery to good use and illustrate the script in comic book form.  

 

So now we proudly present:  Inspector Blossom 3!!!

 

 

-Brian

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July 14, 2004

 

  HEROESCON 2004 REVIEW.  Go check it out!

 

 

 

-Brian

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July 12, 2004

 

  Drawing a comic book is a solitary and time consuming task.  Fortunately, I like it...so I'm not complaining.  But, it's good to show the rest of your patient readers that you're not just sitting on your tail not working, so here's a little preview art of issue 1.  It's just the pencils, no inks.  Why haven't I inked it you might ask?  Go ahead and ask.  What?  Why am I not inking it?  Because I'm not inking this issue.  I really want to take more time on the pencils and do the best job I can do and then let someone who can really ink do the inking.  I'm talking with someone about getting inks done now, so if nothing falls through the quality of the next issues will continue to be the best it can be.   

 

October is the release date for issue 1 (Lord willing).  In the meantime, enjoy the fruits of my labor.

 

 

 

-Brian

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July 11, 2004

 

  There should be morally handicapped parking spots for non-handicapped people who park in handicapped spots. This way everybody’s happy. The handicapped get their spots, the morally handicapped are close to the door and everyone else can throw eggs at them.

 

-Brian

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July 9, 2004

 

  I opened my eyes and found myself staring at the dresser.

“Crap, I never get to fly on the plane.”

These were the first words to cross my mind today.

I’ve said before that I don’t have recurring dreams. I have recurring themes. One that has started recently involves taking a trip with friends. It’s always a different destination, at a different airport, but it’s always the same thing. I’m looking forward to flying on the plane, there’s a huge ordeal in getting to the airplane on time, if I do get there on time it’s delayed or I’ve missed it, OR I wake up just before I’m going to get on the plane.

Such was my trip this morning. A group of us were running through the airport getting ready to climb on board and *poof*…I’m awake.

Maybe tonight I’ll make it on board. Or better yet, fly there like superman. Cause that’s always cooler (though I’m always scared to go too high).

Weirdsville. 

 

-Brian

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July 6, 2004

 

  I just want to give a shout out to the guys at Acme comics in Greensboro who let us set up and promote the book on Saturday.  For all those who came by and got a book, thanks!  We hope you enjoy it.  

 

Issue 1 should be out in October.  That's the plan anyway, and one issue quarterly after that.  In the meantime keep checking the site for updates, and feel free to stop by the GravyBoard.

July 2, 2004

 

  I saw Spiderman on Wednesday.  I truly went into it with no expectations.  I didn't think it was going to be the best movie I've ever seen (a movie trying to take that position has to compete with over 9 hours of Lord of the Rings) but I figured it'd be fun.  As a Spider-man fan to begin with it's always cool to see him on the big screen swinging all over New York.  Overall, it was a fun movie. 

 

Even so, there were a few parts that just had me going "ohhh please."  I mean, I can accept the premise that a radioactive spider bites a guy and turns him into a superhero.  But there were a few moments when other characters who were not superheroes did things that they shouldn't and wouldn't have been able to do...not even in the reality of Spider-man.  But, I'm a forgiving movie goer...and it didn't take long to let myself enjoy seeing Spidey slugging it out with Doc Ock.  

 

The only real complaint I have is the near complete absence of any witty dialogue from Spidey.  Everyone knows that in addition to the web slinging and spider sense that THAT'S a huge part of who spider man is.  The movie version of spidey is as serious as a heart attack.  What's up with that?  

 

But those are my gripes...if you like spider-man, you'll like the film I think.  

 

-Brian

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