Hi, I'm Thad. I build websites.
This blog's been up in one form or another since 1999. In that time I've written about topics ranging from comic books to video games to copyright law to creators' rights to Frank Zappa.
I also write eBooks and narrate audiobooks. Here's where you can find them:
I'll be honest: I can't tell if The New Music is the name of the show he's on, or just a title the uploader gave this video. But anyway, here's Zappa in a limo talking about his projects, some social views, and, in keeping with the Republican Convention theme, a general disdain for Reagan (though he doesn't have any kind words for Mondale either).
Zappa for President!
(Actually, I'm seriously considering writing in Carter. Four more years!)
Scan found at Glass Walking-Stick in a Google Image Search
Today would have been Jack Kirby's 95th birthday.
I think it's safe to say that he was not only the most important figure in the history of superhero comics, but the most important figure in American comics, of any genre.
And according to Mark Evanier's afterword to Jack Kirby's Fourth World Omnibus, Volume 2 (now in paperback!), he drew that page up top in an hour.
Speaking of Evanier, he posted a remembrance today, along with Steve Bissette and countless others. Heidi MacDonald has a great selection of Jack's art, plus a photo of Alan Moore towering over him.
It's also Read Comics in Public Day.
But most importantly of all:
Jack's granddaughter Jillian has started a campaign called Kirby4Heroes, a fundraiser for the Hero Intiative. I've spoken of the Hero Initiative before, but to review: it's a charity that helps support comic book creators who are down on their luck. Unfortunately, there are quite a lot of those; here are some testimonials (including some from folks who are, sadly, no longer with us):
Kirby's legacy is not only as an artist, storyteller, innovator, and Man with Big Ideas -- he worked hard to make sure his fellow creators could make a decent living. Because in the old days many of them didn't -- and, sadly, today many still don't.
A couple months back I mentioned I'd been re-watching X-Files on Netflix.
Well, appears I'm not the only one. Via io9, I've just been introduced to Monster of the Week, a weekly webcomic working through the series one episode at a time.
And there's plenty to make fun of -- I've certainly found that the unevenness I remember from the later episodes were actually there right from the beginning. Last night I watched yet another episode that had a strong setup and blew it in the last act. So, Monster of the Week -- to share my enthusiasm and my frustration.
In honor of the Republican National Convention, Zappa's thoughts on the religious right:
And yeah, he had plenty to say about Democrats too -- but their convention's next week.
Well, by now Who fans have presumably watched the first Pond Life minisode, and the show's coming back on Saturday. So here's another of my old reviews, originally posted on Brontoforumus on 2008-03-28.
The Seventh Doctor era gets a lot of (presumably well-deserved) flack, and some fans blame McCoy and Aldred for the waning quality and ultimate cancellation of the show. Others blame the writers, and Ghost Light seems to vindicate that view, as it shows McCoy and Aldred do a perfectly good job when they have a decent script to work from.
Ghost Light tends a bit toward the confusing and I found myself hitting up Wikipedia to explain what it was I'd just seen when it was over, but that's not necessarily a negative; some of my favorite sci-fi is inscrutable.
It's something of a mishmash of references to such works as The Shining, Pygmalion, and Heart of Darkness, with a dash of Douglas Adams thrown in. But the Victorian haunted-house ambience is suitably creepy, and most of the cast -- creepy housekeeper, insane hunter, lord of the manor who wears glasses indoors, caveman, crazy hooded figure, monstrous angel -- is interesting. The Seventh Doctor comes across as a mysteryman who manipulates Ace to force her to confront fears out of her past, and when he confronts Light in the final act, reminds the audience that he is indeed both ancient and alien. Ace is a far more complex character than most companions in the original series, and paves the way for Rose and Martha to have involved and (sometimes) interesting backstories 15 years later.
All in all, it's better than the Tom Baker/Terry Nation/Douglas Adams Dalek story I watched two weeks ago, and that has to count for something.
$12.99 on Amazon -- worth buying. Or you can stream it -- free if you've got Prime, $1.99 for each episode ($6 total) for a 7-day rental, or, inexplicably, the same price for a purchase.
With Beefheart. Per the uploader, marcnoelsant, it was recorded at Radio WLIR in Long Island, 1975.
I went through an "I want to be an astronaut when I grow up" phase -- most kids probably do. Most of them are probably thinking of Neil Armstrong when they say that.
First human being on the moon, man -- if that's not the coolest thing any human being has ever done, well, it's right up there.
Foregoing Zappa again tonight, but here's some music from another Frank:
Image via Mark Evanier, who always writes a good obituary.
Going to forego Zappa tonight and wish a fond farewell to the Count, Jerry Nelson.
And old favorite:
CNN has a nice roundup of videos -- the one with Jim Henson as Kermit made me laugh, and, under the circumstances, it's poignant.
Bleeding Cool has a good selection too, spotlighting several of Nelson's other Muppet and Fraggle roles, and MightyGodKing adds Tomorrow, one of my favorite Muppet Show numbers (again featuring both Nelson and Henson).
Thanks for the memories.
Berlin, '78. Yet another post by tomtiddler1. Thanks Tom!
Took Little Nephew to the mall this evening so he wouldn't go stir-crazy. Cliché as it is, it's true -- by the end of the evening we were tired and he wasn't.
Made for a decent enough shopping trip, too. I found a copy of Crackdown for $3. And then I decided to check an Arizona souvenir shop for hot sauce -- my cousin invited me to breakfast this coming Sunday. It's the anniversary of her father's passing, and he loved to have people over for Sunday breakfast.
I saw a wasabi and habanero sauce and thought, yeah, that says Uncle Jim to me.
I miss the old fella.
Out with my nephew, thinking of my uncle. I guess that's the way the whole durned human comedy keeps perpetuatin' itself, down through the generations, westward the wagons, across the sands o' time until -- aww, look at me, I'm ramblin' again.