I'm Out Voting; Here's Filler

Found here.

Phew...Might Have To Modify This Zuda Thing

Oh, I'm still going to be putting up a Two-Fer-Tuesday and filling out the rest of the week, but I might not be able to commit to reading every single installment existing for all of the entries in the festivities.

Who knew 105 pages of a Zuda comic would read as so much more dense than your average webcomic found through the tubes that connect this interwebz?

And, in the name of Allah, I swear I picked the first comic for review before you posted a comment, David. ;)

Fey Palin & John McCain On SNL

Tyler Perry: Still Violating Labor Laws

Just so no one thinks I've forgotten or dropped this:

Tyler Perry situation used as an argument for the Employee Free Choice Act.

Defamer calls Oprah Winfrey, Sidney Poitier and Will Smith scabs for attending Perry's party.

Gay Wired made Tyler Perry their Hypocrite of the Week.

Coming Soon: Zuda Week

Starting tomorrow (complete with a TWO-FER-TUESDAY offering), I'll be reviewing 5 different Zuda offerings. It would have began today, but life got in the way and I wouldn't want any of the comics to suffer from my rushing to get the review done.

In the meantime, if you haven't already checked them out, here's a list of the reviews from WEB COMICS WEEK:

Calamities of Nature
The Wang
Circle Vs. Square
Multiplex
Misery Loves Sherman

The review line-up for the week isn't set in stone, so feel free to post any suggestions of Zuda offerings you'd like to see on the blog.

Jim Shooter: Taking The Blame Or Faking Humility?

In talking to friends and reading a few blogs, it seems people are crediting Jim Shooter with standing up and taking the blame for his run on Legion of Super-Heroes coming to an end.

Heck, even Shooter comes back to try to make sure people get that it is HIS fault:

“Anyway, upon reading the interview, I wonder now if people will focus on the things I said regarding Francis like he’s ‘going to be great someday, maybe one of the best of all time,’ ‘great designer,’ ‘incapable of drawing a dull picture,’ etc. or just think that I’m blaming him for the book’s demise. Read it again. I blame me."

That's obviously what Shooter wants you to come away thinking, but it isn't sincerely his position. Sure, he did say:

“But let’s focus on the real culprit – me. I guess what it really all comes down to is that my work wasn’t good enough to overcome all the small problems further down the line. "

People seem to stop reading that at, "my work wasn't good enough," and ignore the rest.

The man isn't saying his writing was the true blame, he's saying it wasn't good enough to make up for everyone else's screw ups. What screw ups?

Making himself the victim:

• “I think it had more to do with their being pissed at me for complaining too much and too loudly – to DC people only, not to the media – about various glitches and screw-ups than anything else. DC has incentives for licensing of new characters. Super Lad could, potentially be the new Superxxx, and very licensable. Why reward a pain in the ass like me with extra money?"
• “Sales of ‘The Legion of Super-Heroes’ aren’t great, but they’re a lot better than those of some of the titles they’re keeping. I think canceling the book is a graceful way of getting rid of me. I complain too much and too loudly.”

It's Manapul's fault:

• “No, I didn’t begin to get in ‘everything I wanted.’ What saw print was not anywhere near what I imagined or what was called for in the scripts. Not even close."
• "He works very hard and seems to care a lot – but that and a $1.85 gets you a cup of coffee. As soon as Francis groks what business he’s in – storytelling – as soon as he realizes that conveying the story and information clearly, at a glance, is first priority, he’ll be a contender."

It's Didio's fault:

• “After delivering the first draft of the 16-issue plot, I was ordered by Dan DiDio to rewrite it – for free – to include the introduction of a young, male Super -- note how I’m avoiding using the word ‘Superboy’ -- as a Legionnaire."
  

It's everyone but Livesay & Wands at fault:

• “Inker Livesay and letterer Steve Wands did their jobs well, no problems there, but as for the rest of us, if we had done our jobs right, if the story had been good enough, if the story had been told well, if the coloring hadn’t been murky, if the covers hadn’t been weak, if there hadn’t been so many production mistakes, if there had been more promotion, if there had been enough of a buzz, if we’d been allowed to have a character with that Super ‘S,’ maybe we could have succeeded."

Look in that last one, in particular. In his list of things that actually needed to improve, where is anything about his writing? You can argue "enough of a buzz" could hinge on his writing a buzzworthy story, but I don't believe that is how he meant it. No, when the man lists actual faults, he lists none of his own.

If you believe the rumors about Chuck Dixon's firing (mapped out far in advance, refused to change when editorial demanded), it looks like we might have an epidemic breaking out with old school writers employed during the new school of comic book synergistic storytelling. That Jim Shooter plotted out 16 issues ahead can be seen as admirable. Thinking that he deserved extra pay for having to change things when his work-for-hire employer gave feedback, however, is not.

That he stands up for his right to licensing fees shows courage. That, from appearances, he was expecting licensing fees for a character that editorial pretty much handed to him and asked to have inserted shows avarice.

Anyone can say "I'm sorry" or "my bad". Shooter is saying it is his fault, but he's showing us with every other statement that he believes it to be anyone else's error but his own.

Josh Middleton Provides Linework From Supergirl Covers

Found on Josh Middleton's blog.

Sarah Palin Is A Baby Seal Hunting Fool

Sarah Palin: This is Sarah.

Masked Avengers: Ah, yeah, Gov. Palin.

SP: Hello.

MA: Just hold on for President Sarkozy, one moment.

SP: Oh, it's not him yet, they're saying. I always do that.

MA: Yes, hello, Gov. Palin.

SP: Hello, this is Sarah, how are you?

MA: Fine, and you? This is Nicolas Sarkozy speaking, how are you?

SP: Oh, it's so good to hear you. Thank you for calling us.

MA: Oh, it's a pleasure.

SP: Thank you sir, we have such great respect for you, John McCain and I. We love you and thank you for taking a few minutes to talk to me.

MA: I follow your campaigns closely with my special American adviser Johnny Hallyday, you know?

SP: Yes, good.

MA: Excellent. Are you confident?

SP: Very confident and we're thankful that polls are showing that the race is tightening and...

MA: Well I know very well that the campaign can be exhausting. How do you feel right now, my dear?

SP: I feel so good. I feel like we're in a marathon and at the very end of the marathon you get your second wind and you plow to the finish.

MA: You see, I got elected in France because I'm real and you seem to be someone who's real, as well.

SP: Yes, yeah. Nico, we so appreciate this opportunity.

MA: You know I see you as a president one day, too.

SP: Maybe in eight years.

MA: Well, I hope for you. You know, we have a lot in common because personally one of my favourite activities is to hunt, too.

SP: Oh, very good. We should go hunting together.

MA: Exactly, we could try go hunting by helicopter like you did. I never did that. Like we say in French, on pourrait tuer des bebe phoques, aussi. (Babelfish translation: one could kill out of the baby seals, too)

SP: Well, I think we could have a lot of fun together while we're getting work done. We can kill two birds with one stone that way.

MA: I just love killing those animals. Mmm, mmm, take away life, that is so fun. I'd really love to go, so long as we don't bring along Vice-President Cheney.

SP: No, I'll be a careful shot, yes.

MA: Yes, you know we have a lot in common also, because except from my house I can see Belgium. That's kind of less interesting than you.

SP: Well, see, we're right next door to different countries that we all need to be working with, yes.

MA: Some people said in the last days and I thought that was mean that you weren't experienced enough in foreign relations and you know that's completely false. That's the thing that I said to my great friend, the prime minister of Canada Stef Carse.

SP: Well, he's doing fine, too, and yeah, when you come into a position underestimated it gives you an opportunity to prove the pundits and the critics wrong. You work that much harder.

MA: I was wondering because you are so next to him, one of my good friends, the prime minister of Quebec, Mr. Richard Z. Sirois, have you met him recently? Did he come to one of your rallies?

SP: I haven't seen him at one of the rallies but it's been great working with the Canadian officials. I know as governor we have a great co-operative effort there as we work on all of our resource-development projects. You know, I look forward to working with you and getting to meet you personally and your beautiful wife. Oh my goodness, you've added a lot of energy to your country with that beautiful family of yours.

MA: Thank you very much. You know my wife Carla would love to meet you, even though you know she was a bit jealous that I was supposed to speak to you today.

SP: Well, give her a big hug for me.

MA: You know my wife is a popular singer and a former top model and she's so hot in bed. She even wrote a song for you.

SP: Oh my goodness, I didn't know that.

MA: Yes, in French it's called de rouge a levre sur un cochon, or if you prefer in English, Joe the Plumber...it's his life, Joe the Plumber.

SP: Maybe she understands some of the unfair criticism but I bet you she is such a hard worker, too, and she realizes you just plow through that criticism.

MA: I just want to be sure. That phenomenon Joe the Plumber. That's not your husband, right?

SP: That's not my husband but he's a normal American who just works hard and doesn't want government to take his money.

MA: Yes, yes, I understand we have the equivalent of Joe the Plumber in France. It's called Marcel, the guy with bread under his armpit.

SP: Right, that's what it's all about, the middle class and government needing to work for them. You're a very good example for us here.

MA: I see a bit about NBC, even Fox News wasn't an ally as much as usual.

SP: Yeah, that's what we're up against.

MA: Gov. Palin, I love the documentary they made on your life. You know Hustler's Nailin' Paylin?

SP: Ohh, good, thank you, yes.

MA: That was really edgy.

SP: Well, good.

MA: I really loved you and I must say something also, governor, you've been pranked by the Masked Avengers. We are two comedians from Montreal.

SP: Ohhh, have we been pranked? And what radio station is this?

MA: CKOI in Montreal.

SP: In Montreal? Tell me the radio station call letters.

MA: CK...hello?

Crafty Kid Creates Candy Counting Costume