anchors aweigh!

Guys, I'm sorry.

It's been a while, hasn't it? Do I feel guilty about neglecting this blog? You bet I do! Time to move forward though, and as soon as I discovered this site, I knew I had found my inspiration. It's a collection of high-res promotional photos from old Hollywood films, indexed by actor. So cool. Expect to see more from this site in the days/weeks to come.

Some of you may not know this, but I harbor what some may consider to be an unhealthy obsession with Gene Kelly. The singing, the dancing, the style, the charm, the whole damn package. So, of course, his was the first page I checked. Lo and behold, this amazing shot from "Anchors Aweigh," with Ol' Blue Eyes himself, Frank Sinatra! I haven't actually seen "Anchors" yet, which is a crying shame. Queen Video, here I come!



#0009

ugh.

I have pages and pages and pages of Prince drawings. None of them look remotely like him.

I'll keep at it though, and it'll be up when its up. Promise.

As for next week? In honor of its 25th birthday, it'll be Purple Rain week! Oh man, this is going to be ridiculous. I'll be going through one of my favorite albums, song-by-song, as the week progresses.

Monday: That elusive Friday post, plus Let's Go Crazy & Take Me With U
Tuesday: The Beautiful Ones & Computer Blue
Wednesday: Darling Nikki & When Doves Cry
Thursday: Baby I'm A Star & I Would Die 4 U
Friday: PURPLE RAIN

Will that be too much Prince? Probably. Do I care? Hells no. Let's do it up!

shhhhh....

I'm going to sleep. New post after work tomorrow. What about? Well, I'm going to try and make you a Prince fan with five songs. We'll see how it goes.

"i know i need to be in love."

It's a simple fact: I am a hopeless romantic. I know that, just like Karen Carpenter, I need to be in love, but the problem is, when push comes to shove, I can never seem to do anything about it. Why?

To put it simply, fear. It's crippling, really. You know the saying, nothing ventured, nothing gained? Well, in my mind, it's always been nothing ventured, no chance for embarrassment. I'm often reminded of a line in a Billy Joel song:

"I really wish I was less of a thinking man/
And more a fool who's not afraid of rejection."

A thinking man. Always a thinking man. More often than not, an over-thinking man.

I could blame it on a lot of other things. For starters, I wasn't exactly much of a catch through elementary and most of high school. Also, it seemed that most of the girls I have been interested were already in relationships at the time. Sure, those may, to the observer, seem like valid points. They're not. I ain't copping out of this one. It's all on me.

So where do I go from here?

That's a very good question. I'm on a journey of self-improvement, really, and this, to me, is the biggest hurdle. I'm afraid. I'm afraid of my inadequacies, (real or perceived,) I'm afraid of pretty girls, but most importantly, I'm afraid of the unknown. I don't know HOW someone may react if I talk to them, and that scares the willies out of me. If I don't want to end up as the male equivalent of a cat lady, I'm going to have to make some changes, and g*ddammit, I'm ready to make them.

Let's do this.

(Oh, and if you're wondering who those girls are... good luck. You ain't getting nothin' out of me. Suffice to say, they're all real people, people who were, sadly, never more than friends or acquaintances.)

#0008

wednesday comics.

Mainstream superhero comics, I <3 you. I really, really do. I know it's been a while since we've seen each other, and that you may have done me wrong in the past, but I think I'm ready to give you another shot.

Our first encounter was a memorable one, to say the least. It was the ninth grade. I was in what was, at the time, my local comic shop, innocently perusing the shelves, when something caught my eye. It was THIS:



Astonishing X-Men 5. I had heard great things on the web, and the internet had never lied to me, so I decided to check it out. John Cassaday's art was stunning, and Joss Whedon's writing was equally stellar. (Yes, the Buffy guy.) Dammit, Comics, you had me at hello.

And thus began our three-year long love affair. A very EXPENSIVE love affair. Why did I give you up? As much as I hate to say it, money was a factor. At over $4 an issue, you were getting to be a very expensive habit, especially once I was following over 15 books a month. However, I'd be lying if I said that was all that did it. You did some pretty stupid things yourself, Comics. Some of your "summer blockbuster" crossovers were real disappointments. (I'm looking at you, Civil War.) Also, in all honesty, 95% of you was pretty darn stupid.

But my stars and garters, that 5%. When you were on, comics, you were ON. Runaways. Invincible. Seven Soldiers. Final Crisis. The aforementioned Astonishing X-Men. So much amazing. (Amazing that I'll probably talk about in further detail in the weeks to come.)

Really, Comics, you're a large part of why I'm at OCAD right now. That amazing 5% served as amazing inspiration, and for those three tumultuous years, I was surrounded by amazing illustrations. You may not be my career of choice, but you helped me get to where I am right now, and for that, I'll be eternally grateful.

And so, it is with some apprehension that I have decided to come back to you, Comics. Let's start fresh. You have some amazing stuff coming down the pipeline that I really want to be a part of. Morrison/Quitely on Batman and Robin, Kathryn Immonen on Runaways, and Wednesday Comics, the only book where I can find Paul Pope, Karl Kerschl, Brian Stelfreeze, Ryan Sook, Sean Galloway, Ben Caldwell and Amanda Conner in one place... EVERY WEEK! I don't think I can pass that up.

Oh, I can't quit you, babe. I guess I just had to put you down for a while.

#0007

lisa listen.

Those of you who know me well may know of my weakness for 90's pop music. Well, nowhere is this more apparent than in my love for Lisa Loeb.

Okay, so she's only a moderately successful singer-songwriter from the 90's, one who had about three hits at most. Sure, her career peaked over a decade ago. I don't care, because when I listen to "Stay (I Missed You)," all that seems to go away. Also, I have a HUGE crush on her. I think you'll understand after watching this:



After that, how could I not be head over heels?

"Stay" is, without a doubt, one of my favorite pop songs. Beautiful guitar riff. Heartbreaking yet cryptic lyrics. Structurally unique. So good. Because I loved it so very much, a few years ago I decided to give Tails, her debut album, a listen. It has become one of my top guilty pleasure albums, one that I put on when no one is listening.

Admittedly, there are a few clunkers on Tails. I could do without "Rose-Colored Times," "Waiting for Wednesday," or "Garden of Delights." It's all worth it though, especially when I hear a line like this one, off "Sandalwood."

"She can't tell me that all of the love songs have been written/
Because she's never been in love with you before."

SWOON.

Anyway, before I start falling over myself here, I'll leave you with "Taffy." It's an awesome song, and the video is also great, because it's so amazingly dated. Like a three-minute 90's time capsule, really. Enjoy. I'm going to go listen to Tails again.



#0006

da funk.

I'm nursing a serious case of the blahs right now.

Why? Who knows. Could be the recent reappearance of certain "things" in my life. Could be the disconnect that I'm feeling right now between my brain and my hands. Really, it could be any number of things. Maybe it's my embarrassment upon realizing that I haven't posted anything in over two weeks.

Actually, that's probably it right there.

Well, it's time to fix that. I'm going to try something new, something that will hopefully get me doing this a lot more often. I'm going to plan my subject matter out ahead of time. This week, this is how it's going to go down:

Tuesday - A certain bespectacled guilty pleasure of mine.
Wednesday - Comics et moi.
Thursday - Something personal, for once.
Friday - Something about Prince. (Really, I'm surprised it took me this long to get to this.)

So yeah. Now I have no excuse. I know what I have to do, you know what's coming, let's get this done.

spook country.

I just finished reading "Spook Country", a novel by seminal cyberpunk author William Gibson, (pictured above as a younger man.) Did I enjoy it? Well, I was up 'til 3:30 last night reading the last 100 pages.

"Spook Country" is set in what seems to be an alternate, slightly more technologically advanced version of our world, yet one that is still extremely familiar. There are PowerBooks, Volkswagens, and unprotected wi-fi networks (FTW). Of course, there are also virtual reality helmets, locative art installations, and strange Japanese narcotics with funky-sounding names like RIZE. The story follows three separate protagonists, each on mysterious and suspenseful journeys that inevitably converge.

I had previously read Gibson's most well known work, "Neuromancer", (a huge influence on the Matrix; check it out,) and what I admire most about his writing is his ability to craft strange and futuristic worlds that, through the usage of certain familiar aspects, feel wholly real. Some of the technologies at use throughout "Spook Country," seem like they could probably be put on the market tomorrow, while many others are already ubiquitous.

Also, the characters are just so darn COOL. One of our main characters, freelance journalist Hollis Henry, was the former singer for a 90's cult band called The Curfew. In the novel, she is on assignment for Node, a European magazine that, for all intents and purposes, doesn't seem to exist. Another, a Cuban-Chinese twentysomething named Tito, plays the keyboards, wears APC, and constantly listens to his iPod Nano.

This book was a blast. Marvelously written, beautifully paced, and, once again, totally cool. I think I may have to check out the rest of his oeuvre later this summer.

PS: I picked up a few books at Value Village the other day, so expect more lit-related posts as I finish said books. First up: Carl Sagan's "Contact". I was going to take a break from sci-fi, but I got about ten pages in and just couldn't stop. SO GOOD. I enjoyed the movie, hopefully the book is even better.

PPS: Sorry about the total lack of updates this week, I've felt like death over the past few days. Feeling better though, so hopefully that's all behind me.

#0005

apologies...

Due to a spur of the moment family gathering, no post today...

hipster uniform, part one.

I can't count how many times I've seen this outfit (or variations of it) while walking down Queen Street. Oversized plaid shirt, leather belt, denim shorts. Oy.

However, that's not to say that I mind. As irritating as I sometimes find hipsters, I can't help but admit that hipster girls are damn cute. Call it a love/hate relationship. To be quite honest, they were a factor when I decided to go to OCAD. Only after starting classes did I realize that the hipster girls are all in the art faculty. Is it too late to switch?

(By the by, I'll probably be doing more hipster-related posts in the future, hence the "part one." What could be next? Low-slung skinny jeans? Moustaches? Only time will tell.)

#0004

who wears short shorts?

I DO.

One of the many things I've learned over the past few years is that if one has the frame of a twelve year old boy, baggy clothes only serve to emphasize this. This was why I bought my $12 short trunks at H&M last summer, and GAWD do I love them. Now that summer seems to have finally hit the city, I look forward to wearing them whenever possible.

It was a balmy 27 degrees today, so it seemed like the perfect time to bring them out of retirement. This afternoon, I brought my Daffy Duck towel, my straw hat, and my book, (William Gibson's Spook Country,) up to the roof for an impromptu sun-session. I must say, it was absolutely magnificent.

(apologies for not posting yesterday, I came home from work a little late, and decided to sleep instead of posting.)

#0003

teen idol.

I got no beef with Zac Efron. Really. Dare I say, I may even... like the guy?

Yeah, I know. I (a holier-than-thou, highly judgemental culture snob) should hate him and all he stands for, but I just can't bring myself to. Charming son of a gun. Reading his interview in the May issue of GQ only strengthened my thoughts that, much like the Jonas Brothers, (which I'll save for another post,) beneath the vacuous teen idol persona lies a talented, career-savvy individual. Kid's got a good head on his shoulders, and he seems extremely self-aware, a quality sorely lacking in the entertainment industry. Best of luck, Mr. Efron, and while I won't be rushing out to see 17 Again any time soon, I think you have bigger and better things on the horizon.

#0002

born standing up.

"I did stand-up comedy for eighteen years. Ten of those years were spent learning, four years were spent refining, and four were spent in wild success."

These are the first words in Steve Martin's Born Standing Up, his hilarious, heartfelt memoir about his time doing stand-up comedy. What hit me the hardest was how long he spent performing, practicing, and honing his craft before making it big. Reading the book made me think about the amount of time I've put into my craft, and forced me to do a little self-assessment. What was the verdict?

Unfortunately, things looked pretty grim. I wasn't one of those kids who was surrounded by crayons, taking numerous art classes. Even in my high school days, I never really gave myself the time I should have. Damn.

It's not all bad though! I still have time... time that I need to make the most of. That's what this blog is for. Hopefully, this will serve as an informal outlet of sorts, pushing me to create, experiment, and have a little fun. Maybe now I can give myself the education I need, because if slugging it out for years means I can end up like Steve, I'm willing to put in the time.



#0001