Saturday, March 16, 2024

Sophisticated entertainment

 Here's a favourite scene of mine, from the Beano Comic Library "Triple Trouble", starring Baby-Face Finlayson. Some things never get old - I've been reliably laughing at "thinks he's helping" for the last forty years.


Drawn by Henry Davies, probably. And really, you don't see this kind of thing in the Beano any more - even the best strips these days don't cram anywhere near this many gags into every panel!

Of course, there is still some entertainment to be found for the children of today. But if, like me, you spend an unreasonable amount of time watching Alvin and the Chipmunks on kids' TV channels, you get the drawback of seeing a limited number of adverts, over and over again.

And the one that really bugs me is the one for Fairy Liquid, with small child saying "Dad, I really want to make a spaceship out of that Fairy Liquid bottle, but it's taking ages to run out!" I have several problems with this. Firstly, the boy is a terrible actor, but that's not his fault. I'm also a terrible actor, and I'm making a point of being nice to such people, in hopes that other people will do the same to me. But secondly, they did this exact same advert back in the mid-nineties or thereabouts, only better. That one was taken from an early reality show where they gave video cameras to members of the public, and so the original scene was at least pretending to be unscripted, and looked a lot more natural. Why remake an old advert, only not nearly as well? Thirdly, Fairy Liquid bottles aren't even the right shape to make spaceships any more. Bring back the old ones, Fairy! And fourthly, I've never understood the whole "it lasts longer" thing that Fairy like to boast about. Whatever washing up liquid I'm using, I just put a squeeze of it into the sink. Who uses extra when they're washing dishes if they think it hasn't adequately cleaned them? Nobody, that's who! Fairy Liquid lasts the exact same length of time as any other, and someone ought to stop them claiming that about it!

I'll stop complaining now. And to be fair, I always buy Fairy Liquid. I don't remember the last time I used one of the rival brands that they claim to last longer than.

But the most irksome advert on the kids' TV channels right now is what seems to be a serious attempt to make children want to eat vegetables. "Eat them to defeat them." I'm sure everyone involved in it was doing it very tongue in cheek, but I bet the child actors in that one (better ones than the Fairy boy) get jeered at by their drama-school classmates.

Sunday, March 03, 2024

How to become a superhero comic fan

 It can be a long and surprisingly circuitous process, you know. I haven't always been into superheroes. I can date the time I became a 'real' superhero comic fan quite exactly, in fact, having recently come into possession of some important historical artifacts [by way of having my brother's stuff in my spare room]. They're the brief DC interlude in my Marvel comics fandom, and I really never give them enough credit.

It's the summer of 1990, I'm thirteen going on fourteen, and my comics experience up to this point has consisted mostly of the Beano and similar titles, plus the Transformers comic from Marvel. Transformers had been going since autumn 1984, it had been really fantastic, but by 1990 it was past its peak and declining steadily. I needed another comic to get excited about.

And I came across this one (or maybe one from a month or two earlier) in WHSmith in Boston. Now, I'd read superhero comics here and there before - backup strips in Transformers, occasional other Marvel summer specials and annuals, but nothing regularly. I'm not sure what induced me to buy Superman Monthly - monthly comics still hadn't really caught on in Britain, though I'd been very excited by the short-lived Dragon's Claws from Marvel in 1988/89, and read a few others during Marvel's attempt to sell American-size monthly comics to British readers. That era was well and truly dead by 1990.

Superman, though, was in the larger British comic size, and I think I must have just picked it up in Smiths and liked it. It wasn't just Superman, you see, it also featured the Justice League International, and that was really the selling point...

Millennium is here! This, in fact, was a problem. The death knell for the British tradition of reprinting American superhero comics (which had thrived for the previous couple of decades, although I'd ignored it almost entirely). See, when American comics were self-contained, it was easy to reprint them in Britain like this without causing confusion. But after the success of "Crisis on Infinite Earths", DC and also Marvel had started to do regular 'events' like Millennium, in which lots of different comics would tie into a wider storyline. The publishers of Superman Monthly found themselves with months of side stories to a bigger epic (published in different comics, most of which British readers would never get to see) and had to run lengthy text features explaining what was going on.

I didn't really mind that - the Superman stories (John Byrne's rebooting of Superman) were all right. I didn't really appreciate that it was the first ever total rebooting of the character after fifty years of publication, because I didn't know the history. The Justice League, though, I found really intriguing, even though it was almost always referring to and crossing over with other comics that only existed on the other side of the Atlantic. I particularly liked the story with the Suicide Squad, which ran through late 1990.

This launched a very brief era of my life in which I would have told you that DC's superhero comics were much better than Marvel's, because DC had lots and lots of different superheroes, whereas Marvel only had a small handful of them.

I don't know why I thought that. I'd read Spider-Man comics with guest stars and references to multiple heroes. I'd read the Secret Wars sticker album, back in 1986 - lots of heroes in that, easily as many as in the Justice League and Suicide Squad. But I was just left under the impression that DC was a bigger and better universe than Marvel. Maybe I'd have continued thinking that for years, if I hadn't wandered into the book department at the back of Smiths one day...


This book has been read to pieces over the years, as you can see. Actually, that fateful day in Smiths they had two Official Handbooks of the Marvel Universe - volumes one and four. It was number four that I picked up, read, and was fascinated by. But having spent a long time poring over its contents, I decided to buy volume one, and then come back and get the later volumes at a later date.

The first part of the plan was executed; I never saw another volume on sale anywhere, ever again. Even volume four disappeared from the Smiths shelves by the next time I went in there.

But that was okay - I read this book extensively, and became an expert on all Marvel's characters from A to Circus of Crime! Superman and the Justice League were forgotten, and I was a dedicated Marvel fan for years and years to come!

 As I said, I'd read summer specials and things with Marvel heroes in them before. Way back in 1985* there had been this one, with a second story (reprinted from Marvel Team-Up #145 in America, though I didn't know that at the time) that blew my mind and expanded my perception of what a superhero comic could be. It was written by Tony Isabella, drawn by Greg LaRocque, and featured the supervillain Blacklash going through a very bad time.

So it was a real delight to see that Blacklash had his own two-page entry in the Official Handbook, documenting that story and others!

*Can I just point out that I have SCOURED the internet today, trying to confirm that this was the summer special of 1985. I've gone through my comic collection to find ads, and eventually been able to definitively rule out any other publication date it might have been. It definitely couldn't have been 1984, despite what the Spider-Fan website says; that was when the reprinted stories were originally published in America. This was a very very important comic for me, and it's outrageous that the internet contains only scattered, vague and inaccurate documentation of it!

Okay, rant over. Let's read all about poor Blacklash.




But the one that really intrigued me, somehow, was Alpha Flight. I'm not sure what it was - the Avengers were in the Handbook too, there are more of them, and I'd heard of them before. But Alpha Flight caught my imagination. They do look very cool in these headshots, don't they?


And so in the summer of 1991, when I explored the world of imported American comics by mail order - I'd seen classified ads for comic shops ever since the mid-eighties, but only now decided to send off for a catalogue from one - it was the latest Alpha Flight that I bought. Starting with #100, I became a regular reader, although to be fair that era wasn't much good. It did prompt me to find back issues in an attempt to find the lineup from the handbook (five or six years out of date by this point), which led to me discovering the glorious Bill Mantlo days of the title. From that point onwards, I was hooked on superhero comics, and dread to think how much money and time I've dedicated to finding and reading them ever since!

And it might have been different if those Official Handbooks hadn't been on sale in Smiths in Boston. Without them, I might have become a DC fan and dismissed Marvel for years! Or I might have given up on superheroes altogether, because let's face it, those Superman and Justice League comics were mediocre at best. Maybe I would have found another hobby to waste my life on...

Saturday, March 02, 2024

Weak links

 As I've mentioned before, I like to see in Blogger's stats that someone has been looking at old blog posts of mine that I hadn't thought about for years - such as this one in which I start by mentioning The Weakest Link and move on to apologising for insulting the creator of Mullein Fields, a webcomic that has long since disappeared from the internet.

This is why the Wayback Machine is the most important thing in the world. When you see an old blog post that links to a disappeared page with the cryptic comment "this is me and my brother when we were that age", you can usually still rediscover exactly what it was talking about just by researching the web archive. Here it is:


Actually, seeing that old post again was a timely reminder that this is very much still me and my brother now - I did, after all, just post a blog last week in which I tell him I love him by writing an extensive essay about Alvin and the Chipmunks, insulting him subtly and slipping a message of affection in at the end. I mean, he was in the next room at the time I was writing it...

So thanks to the person or robot who went and had a look at that 2005 post of mine, because it shows you're keeping up very impressively with my current and past preoccupations! And can I repeat the request made in that post for more blog comments here, please? Say hello if you're out there! Stay in touch! I'm going to write about Excel and Superman and lots of other things in the near future!

Monday, February 19, 2024

Mathematical games!

 Remember the Logic and Mathematical Games that I went to last year, having found out that such a thing existed the day before? Well, now I can give you all advance notice about the next one! May 25th, in Coventry! I recommend everybody go along and give it a go - it's great fun!

(I probably can't go myself, though - remember that puppet show? There's a clash.)

We hope this message finds you well, and radiating with the same enthusiasm you brought to the Mathematical and Logical Games last year.

We are thrilled to announce the return of the challenge: the British Finals 2024 will again be held at Coventry University.

With this e-mail we are extending to you our personal invitation to dive back into the world of puzzles, problem-solving, and the pure joy of mathematics.

Please find enclosed a poster with all the details. If you know someone who shares your passion for mathematics and puzzles, or who is just curious, please invite them to join our community.

Thank you, and looking forward to seeing you at the Games (and our fun training sessions).

 

https://bfmg.maths.coventry.domains/

 

To participate, and for further information, just drop an email to info@bfmg.maths.coventry.domains with your name, surname, town, date of birth, and category.

 

With warmest regards,

The Organizing Committee

Sunday, February 18, 2024

Bromance

I mentioned previously how surprisingly great I find the new "ALVINNN!!! and the Chipmunks" cartoon, and it has to be said that a large part of why I like it so much is the way it portrays the everyday home lives of the Seville siblings - particularly Simon. There are multiple episodes that really make me feel for Simon, just because I recognise myself in him so strongly, and the episode I'm going to spotlight for you all today is one of the very best of these. It has its moments of sympathy for all three chipmunks, in fact, and really presents a believable and accurate family dynamic. I can see my own childhood in these stories perfectly represented!

Incidentally, fans of the various Chipmunk incarnations over the years should know that in this latest world Simon is the oldest, Alvin the middle child and Theodore the youngest, and there's an unspecified age gap between each of them. In the eighties series they were explicitly triplets and Alvin mentions in one episode that he's the oldest (by five minutes), while back in the sixties Alvin is the smallest and probably youngest of them. It can get a bit confusing.



As I prepare to bid a fond farewell to my brother, who's moving back to China after an impressive four-year covid-related exile, I think there's no better episode to focus on than "Bromance", written by chief chipmunk of the Bagdasarian family, Janice Karman.

We open in the living room at home, and a typical family moment. The computer animation in this new series does have its serious limitations, but the well-written and well-directed stories get around them very nicely for the most part. And the things it does well, like facial expressions, are absolutely wonderful! So is the dialogue, which is always snappy, funny and (impressively when you consider it's chipmunk-speech) very well delivered by the actors!

Oh, oh, can I play?
Sorry, Theodore - Alvin and I are at the final level against the grand general of the undead army, and, well, if all goes well today we'll beat them!
That's what you said yesterday. And the day before. And the...
I know, I know, but today, I...
FLYING SQUIRREL ATTACK!!!
AAAAAAH!
Gotcha!
Alvin, remember I said no more Flying Squirrel Attacks! I told you, I hate when you jump out of nowhere like that!
That's the point! What fun would it be if you saw me coming? "Oh, there you are, Alvin," "Yep, yep, here I come, look out," "Oh, gee, that's really scary..."

Whatever. Now take a seat, my compadre, and get your game face on! Today, we have an army to defeat!
Ooh. No can do, Simon. I've got a basketball game in ten minutes.

No, no, no, no! You're flaking on me again? This is like the tenth time!
Don't hate me because I'm popular... (departs)

Well, here you go, Theodore. I'll just work on my science project.
(leaves)
Yeah, well... thanks for asking me to help with your army! Cause... I didn't want to anyway!

The relationship between Alvin and Simon is at the core of this episode, but the way they both neglect and ignore Theodore throughout is a fascinating subplot, and does feel very true to life. I only had the one younger brother, who was (and still is) always the Alvin to my Simon, but what would it have been like if we'd had a Theodore in the family too? It really makes me think...







Next day at school, Alvin gets lumbered with showing a new kid around, and quickly hands over the nerdy Jamie to Simon, who shows him his International Space Station model. 




The two of them hit it off right away and now when Alvin has a moment in his busy calendar for video games, Simon is texting Jamie and not interested. 





As seen in the obligatory musical montage, the two of them stay up all night exchanging funny text messages, play video games together, spend all their time hanging out and even develop their own cool science-gang handshake. It's really awesome.





But then Jamie notices that Simon's brother is one of the cool kids and starts suggesting "Hey, maybe your brother would like to come too?" Now, some people say (well, one person says) that I go on about this a lot, but I don't think I'm being unreasonably melodramatic at all when I say that my primary school days were characterised by being repeatedly ditched by my best friends in favour of my more charismatic younger brother. It's amazing that I grew up into such a well-rounded human being despite this traumatic experience. And if even to this day I avoid introducing my friends to him because I know they'll inevitably like him more than me, well, that's just normal common sense, isn't it?


Simon even cheerfully tells Dave Jamie is the best friend he's ever had. It's heartbreaking! It ends up with Simon and Jamie signing up for a dance class, Jamie getting out of it and inviting Alvin to the cinema. Jamie ducks around a corner to avoid Simon and then runs after Alvin... 




Alvin, to be fair to him, isn't at all interested in spending time with Jamie and is hugely reluctant when Jamie invites himself around for a sleepover. But Simon misinterprets the text Alvin sends, thinking that Alvin wants Simon to do his chores while he goes to Simon's best friend's house, and texts back to say that he's going for a really cool sleepover with someone else. 


Which is a problem when Alvin and Jamie show up at the Seville house and Simon has to hide! Alvin and Jamie play together, not really having much fun all round, and Theodore has to keep distracting them from finding Simon's hiding place - Theo really is the heart and soul of that family, isn't he? 


But eventually Alvin's going to open the wardrobe, and Simon gets out of it with a stroke of genius - Flying Squirrel Attack! The absolute delight of Alvin's reaction really makes you feel a little sorry for him, too, it has to be said. What he really wants is someone who will play Flying Squirrel Attack with him, and he doesn't get that from his siblings. But they all get along together in the end, as shown in the brilliant final scene.




(In which, it has to be said, they discuss their issues with possibly a little more maturity than I ever did...)



My point is, you deserve a better friend than Jamie. He's a jerk!
I can't blame him for wanting to spend more time with you.
He just liked me because he thought I was one of the cool kids!


But... you are more fun.
Simon. The only one having fun with me is me! I'm selfish, obnoxious, reckless, insensitive! Need I go on?




Er, please, no.
Good, cause I was kind of hurting my own feelings. Anyway, if Jamie doesn't get how cool you are, then he's the wrong kind of friend!
Yeah!



Thanks, guys. You know, I feel a little better. Goodnight.
Goodnight, Simon. (turns out light) FLYING SQUIRREL ATTACK!!!!







I really love this show. And, for that matter, my excessively cool younger brother, who I will greatly miss while he's so far away. I'd still like to meet our hypothetical Theodore, too...

Wednesday, February 14, 2024

The Young New Mexican Puppeteer

 People who have been eagerly checking my blog to see what I decided to do last weekend can now be put out of their misery - I went to London to see the puppet show people. And much to my astonishment, I got the part of one of the central characters! I only signed up to audition because I fell in love with him in the 2012 show and wanted the opportunity to actually handle the puppet myself, but now I'm part of a great legacy! It's like becoming the new Doctor Who, only much better, because it involves puppeteering too!

Obviously, my timing wasn't perfect here, because my puppet-phobic brother is staying with me this week, so I'm just having to keep the puppet I brought home safely packed away, but between now and the May bank holiday, I'm going to be working hard on getting to grips with my favourite character and really doing him justice in my performance!

Friday, January 26, 2024

On the road (to Las Vegas) again

 The Microsoft Excel World Championship has kicked off its new season of monthly fun Excel challenges. Ten battles this year, with five people qualifying from each one for the finals, and it's fair to say I didn't really get off to a flying start...


But hey, 49th out of 282 (including the ones with no score at all who might have forgotten they entered in the first place) is a start, and if we get another one that I unexpectedly do well at in the next nine months, we're all set for qualification again! Everyone else should join in, even if by doing so you reduce my chances even further!