Art Adams' original design seems to suggest the angriest parasite was intended to appear non-white, in the vaguely Asian/Indian manner. Instead, she ended up being the palest of the lot, with flowing brown hair. That's the business, all right.
Friday, September 17, 2010
1992 Angon Human Form Character Design by Arthur Adams
Click To Enlarge
Art Adams' original design seems to suggest the angriest parasite was intended to appear non-white, in the vaguely Asian/Indian manner. Instead, she ended up being the palest of the lot, with flowing brown hair. That's the business, all right.
Art Adams' original design seems to suggest the angriest parasite was intended to appear non-white, in the vaguely Asian/Indian manner. Instead, she ended up being the palest of the lot, with flowing brown hair. That's the business, all right.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
DC75: The Orpheus Protocol (JLA Classified #7, 2005)
The Super Buddies, formerly known as the Justice League International, found themselves wished into the bowels of Hell. To their great surprise, the soul of departed member and all-around innocent Ice resided there. Her two closest loves, saucy best friend Fire and macho ex-boyfriend Guy Gardner, entered into a deal recalling the tragedy or Orpheus in which they would be allowed to lead Ice out of Hell, so long as they never looked back along the way. Despite their misgivings about one another, Fire and Guy walked together silently, hearing no one following behind them. Finally, Fire couldn't bear it anymore, and snuck a peek.
"Beatriz..." Ice told Fire, "You always did care too much." In a flash of light, Ice vanished, leaving her friend on her knees screaming "NOOO!" Guy Gardner knelt down to hold Fire, and the pair of tough cookies sobbed. Seriously, this is one of the few comic moments that can make me get misty eyed.
Check out more highlights from the past 75 years of DC Comics at The Truly Most Memorable Moments of the DC Dodranscentennial
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Eating Matters Lad: Carbohydrates
The following is an educational presentation with little humorous or geek value. Reader discretion is advised.
Greetings assembled sentients! I am Tenzil Kem of Bismoll, although I expect you will all know me from my Legion of Super-Heroes codename Matter-Eater Lad. I'm sure we all recognize that the most expedient passageway to the positive emotional response center is via the sustenance processing mechanism. Certainly the United Planets does, which is why I've been asked to run this seminar on intergalactic diplomacy through the culinary arts. Since bipedal Caucasoids make up a mathematically improbable proportion of known life, we will begin with their nutritional perimeters.
Food is an essential part of the "human" experience, and ranked alongside oxygen within Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The most efficient and often delicious food source for the humanoid is the carbohydrate molecule, composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. A single carb molecule, called a monosaccharide, is so simple and potent that it need not even be digested. However, this simple sugar will cause spikes in energy rather than a consistent resource pool, and should be employed sparingly. A couple of examples are fructose, derived from fruits or honey, and galactose (no relation,) found in the lactate of some animals.
The most important single carb is glucose/dextrose, the blood sugar that powers body cells, which you can combine with a monosaccharide to form a disacchardide. Glucose and galactose form lactose, of which which many humans are sadly intolerant, even though it helps strengthen bone, produce the vitamin K, and promote the growth of helpful gastrointestinal flora. Glucose and fructose form sucrose, often referred to as simply "sugar." Technicians can also convert glucose and fructose into a powerful narcotic which has been outlawed on Earth since the 21st century, but you can still find scofflaws producing high fructose corn syrup from rural stills. You can also string a couple of glucose together, but the resulting maltose isn't naturally occurring, and is mostly used by industry for additional flavoring and color.
You have to include glucose in all disacchardides, and they all break back down into glucose during digestion. Once blood sugar levels rise after eating, the pancreas secretes insulin, which directs glucose out of the bloodstream and into cells. The postprandial period follows a meal, in which bodily processes regulate the flow of glucose to maintain an even keel, sugarwise. Ingested fructose and galactose are converted to glucose and gradually released from the liver as blood sugar levels drop in the body, under the direction of the pancreas when it secretes glucogon.
Once you start getting more complex with your carbohydrate strings, you can really start cooking with polysaccharides. For instance, after plants synthesize glucose, they store some in the form of starch. These can be found in grains, which remain Earth's major food crop, and the foundation of all Earthling diets. There are also starchy vegetables, like potatoes, dried peas and beans. Starches begin to digest through saliva, but most of the work is done in the small intestine. 95% of starch ingested by humans is digested within 1-4 hours. Whatever doesn't pass muster is eliminated through stool.
The animal equivalent to starch is glycogen, but it's tough to come by, because it converts to lactic acid during the slaughtering process. If you get the chance to eat, say, a cow whole, you'll note an unfamiliar sweet tang. You can find a bit in some shellfish, as well. Animals store glycogen as an energy source between meals. The human liver breaks the stuff down to maintain consistent blood sugar levels.
Finally, there's fiber, which cannot be digested by human enzymes. Instead, it helps control blood fats (cholesterol,) serves as an energy source for colon bacteria, and generally aides in waste elimination. It is very important to remember that because fiber varies in solubility and impairs absorption of some minerals, it must be used in moderation. Thirty grams daily is recommended, with plenty of water, or the fiber will bunch up and inhibit elimination.
Per Galactipedia, "Human homeostasis refers to the body's ability to physiologically regulate its inner environment to ensure its stability in response to fluctuations in the outside environment and the weather." Part of your role in this process is to consult the Glycemic Index, which organizes foods based on their impact upon blood sugar. Sugary foods are good for high spirits, but the crash that follows can be leveled out by other foods. Also, your menus should cater to specific needs, as an athlete will burn through massive amounts of carbs, while a diabetic will have to make up for an excess of sugar elsewhere in their diet. Ultimately, glucose metabolism will have to balance out the need to burn energy (catabolism) and build compounds for other bodily purposes (anabolism.) Carbs provide the raw energy payload, with glucose exclusively providing all human brainpower.
In the event that the human body is deprived of carbohydrates, it will begin to devour any resident fats or proteins. Without glucose, fats cannot be completely broken down. The acidic intermediate fat compounds are called ketone bodies, which will accumulate in the bloodstream to cause fatigue, nausea, the absence of appetite and dehydration.
When crafting a human diet, consider that it is recommended that carbohydrates make up 45-65% of total caloric intake, to the tune of about 130 grams daily. Added sugars should not exceed 25% of total calories, and 14g of fiber should be included in every 1,000 calories ingested. Male bipeds typically need more fiber, so you might target them with 38g daily, and fems should receive 25g. Healthy selections include whole grains and fibrous fruits & vegetables.
Humans do have a sweet tooth, which can be accounted for through discretionary calories within a diet and with sugar substitutes. Sugar alcohols are roughly half to three quarters as sweet as sugar. They are incompletely absorbed by the body, so that they only account for 1½-3 calories per gram and are less impactful on blood glucose. They can give folks the runs, though. There are also synthesized nonnutritive sweeteners with zero glucose impact or caloric value.
Already beings, go out there and play with some monosaccharide. We'll meet back here next week to discuss protein...
Greetings assembled sentients! I am Tenzil Kem of Bismoll, although I expect you will all know me from my Legion of Super-Heroes codename Matter-Eater Lad. I'm sure we all recognize that the most expedient passageway to the positive emotional response center is via the sustenance processing mechanism. Certainly the United Planets does, which is why I've been asked to run this seminar on intergalactic diplomacy through the culinary arts. Since bipedal Caucasoids make up a mathematically improbable proportion of known life, we will begin with their nutritional perimeters.
Food is an essential part of the "human" experience, and ranked alongside oxygen within Maslow's hierarchy of needs. The most efficient and often delicious food source for the humanoid is the carbohydrate molecule, composed of carbon, hydrogen and oxygen. A single carb molecule, called a monosaccharide, is so simple and potent that it need not even be digested. However, this simple sugar will cause spikes in energy rather than a consistent resource pool, and should be employed sparingly. A couple of examples are fructose, derived from fruits or honey, and galactose (no relation,) found in the lactate of some animals.
The most important single carb is glucose/dextrose, the blood sugar that powers body cells, which you can combine with a monosaccharide to form a disacchardide. Glucose and galactose form lactose, of which which many humans are sadly intolerant, even though it helps strengthen bone, produce the vitamin K, and promote the growth of helpful gastrointestinal flora. Glucose and fructose form sucrose, often referred to as simply "sugar." Technicians can also convert glucose and fructose into a powerful narcotic which has been outlawed on Earth since the 21st century, but you can still find scofflaws producing high fructose corn syrup from rural stills. You can also string a couple of glucose together, but the resulting maltose isn't naturally occurring, and is mostly used by industry for additional flavoring and color.
You have to include glucose in all disacchardides, and they all break back down into glucose during digestion. Once blood sugar levels rise after eating, the pancreas secretes insulin, which directs glucose out of the bloodstream and into cells. The postprandial period follows a meal, in which bodily processes regulate the flow of glucose to maintain an even keel, sugarwise. Ingested fructose and galactose are converted to glucose and gradually released from the liver as blood sugar levels drop in the body, under the direction of the pancreas when it secretes glucogon.
Once you start getting more complex with your carbohydrate strings, you can really start cooking with polysaccharides. For instance, after plants synthesize glucose, they store some in the form of starch. These can be found in grains, which remain Earth's major food crop, and the foundation of all Earthling diets. There are also starchy vegetables, like potatoes, dried peas and beans. Starches begin to digest through saliva, but most of the work is done in the small intestine. 95% of starch ingested by humans is digested within 1-4 hours. Whatever doesn't pass muster is eliminated through stool.
The animal equivalent to starch is glycogen, but it's tough to come by, because it converts to lactic acid during the slaughtering process. If you get the chance to eat, say, a cow whole, you'll note an unfamiliar sweet tang. You can find a bit in some shellfish, as well. Animals store glycogen as an energy source between meals. The human liver breaks the stuff down to maintain consistent blood sugar levels.
Finally, there's fiber, which cannot be digested by human enzymes. Instead, it helps control blood fats (cholesterol,) serves as an energy source for colon bacteria, and generally aides in waste elimination. It is very important to remember that because fiber varies in solubility and impairs absorption of some minerals, it must be used in moderation. Thirty grams daily is recommended, with plenty of water, or the fiber will bunch up and inhibit elimination.
Per Galactipedia, "Human homeostasis refers to the body's ability to physiologically regulate its inner environment to ensure its stability in response to fluctuations in the outside environment and the weather." Part of your role in this process is to consult the Glycemic Index, which organizes foods based on their impact upon blood sugar. Sugary foods are good for high spirits, but the crash that follows can be leveled out by other foods. Also, your menus should cater to specific needs, as an athlete will burn through massive amounts of carbs, while a diabetic will have to make up for an excess of sugar elsewhere in their diet. Ultimately, glucose metabolism will have to balance out the need to burn energy (catabolism) and build compounds for other bodily purposes (anabolism.) Carbs provide the raw energy payload, with glucose exclusively providing all human brainpower.
In the event that the human body is deprived of carbohydrates, it will begin to devour any resident fats or proteins. Without glucose, fats cannot be completely broken down. The acidic intermediate fat compounds are called ketone bodies, which will accumulate in the bloodstream to cause fatigue, nausea, the absence of appetite and dehydration.
When crafting a human diet, consider that it is recommended that carbohydrates make up 45-65% of total caloric intake, to the tune of about 130 grams daily. Added sugars should not exceed 25% of total calories, and 14g of fiber should be included in every 1,000 calories ingested. Male bipeds typically need more fiber, so you might target them with 38g daily, and fems should receive 25g. Healthy selections include whole grains and fibrous fruits & vegetables.
Humans do have a sweet tooth, which can be accounted for through discretionary calories within a diet and with sugar substitutes. Sugar alcohols are roughly half to three quarters as sweet as sugar. They are incompletely absorbed by the body, so that they only account for 1½-3 calories per gram and are less impactful on blood glucose. They can give folks the runs, though. There are also synthesized nonnutritive sweeteners with zero glucose impact or caloric value.
Already beings, go out there and play with some monosaccharide. We'll meet back here next week to discuss protein...
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The Top 10 Bloodlines Characters
I don't mean to be up Brian Cronin's pooper all the time. I really enjoy Comic Book Legends Revealed, and I'm sure he has the best intentions, but he comes up with some of the most whack ass lists. I'll also admit that The Truly Most Memorable Moments of the Dodranscentennial hasn't been quite as historically broad or, well, eventful as I'd intended, but I see that as a work in progress. I still assert that Cronin's 75 Most Memorable Moments in DC Comics History left lots to be desired.
Once again, I find myself at odds with the poor guy, as his Top Five Bloodlines Characters left me scratching my hump. Gunfire, the man who could turn any piece of crap into an energy projectile, was the subject of a stupid stillborn solo series and much mockery. Didn't he accidentally blow his own ass off? Lionheart was an incredibly annoying tech-armored knight that plagued Justice League International during the nadir of its "who the hell are these people" European period. Loose Cannon was a blatant rip-off of the Peter David Hulk of the period, executed by Jeph Loeb in full hack mode. Nah, here's the top ten Bloodlines character from a source you should trust, given it's the name of this blog!
10) Angon
There were so many lousy New Bloods, I hate to validate them with even token inclusion here. Instead, how about I recognize that a ranking of Bloodlines characters technically includes the stars of the most annuals, the alien parasites? Angon was your typical hateful rebel badass chick, who just happened to become a heavily armored gargoyle thing. That is so much cooler than Layla, right?
9) Sparx
Take Kitty Pryde, make her part of the Clandestine (a secret family of super-humans,) and give her electrical powers. Sparx wasn't the deepest character, but she was alright, and she managed a comparatively lengthy publishing life as a member of the Blood Pack and the Ravers in a Superboy spin-off title. Surprisingly still among the living.
8) Geist
The thing about Geist is that he's basically Spider-Man with half-assed invisibility powers. However, he was drawn by Jim Balent in his prime, has an amusing personality, and looks generally cool. Killed in Infinite Crisis after the usual New Blood resume of sporadic appearances and Blood Pack membership.
7) Glonth
That name needs a permanent exclamation point behind it. Glonth! You rolly-polly bottomless pit of hunger and excess hair! Glonth! So many jokes at your expense, but you had such personality!
6) Ballistic
A John Woo loving good cop in dirty Gotham town, Ballistic sprouted an insectoid exoskeleton and carried heavy artillery as a member of the Blood Pack. One of two surprisingly non-stereotypical Asian super-heroes on this list, so of course he was killed during Infinite Crisis
5) Lissik
Mitch Byrd is a master of drawing extra-curvey hotties, and lustful Lissik was like Christina Hendricks as a shape-shifting vampire. Need I continue?
4) Anima
I haven't read her debut appearance in twenty years, but I distinctly recall the New Titans annual being one of the worst reads of a terrible lot. Still, the premise of a punk rock girl who could release her masculine aggressive side as a spectral force is pretty cool. Anima developed a slew of really impressive additional powers in her year-plus solo series, which had an impossibly dense metaphysical mythology. Unfortunately, like most New Bloods, she's been repeatedly used as cannon fodder. Last I heard, she was bisected, but I bet she could come back from that.
3) Argus
Nick Kelly was a cop deep undercover within the mob given meh powers by a parasite bite, but he had a strong story engine that carried him through numerous appearances in The Flash and a solid solo mini-series. Has the rare distinction of having had his eyes surgically removed repeatedly, and keeps bouncing back into action.
2) Nightblade
While very much a product of the '90s, Nightblade was still the rare Asian-American hero whose identity wasn't built upon martial arts mastery or math-fu. Further, Nightblade's super-power to regenerate from any injury was visually stunning, and comically macabre, as depicted by co-creator Mitch Byrd. Besides appearing in one of the best written and drawn Bloodlines annuals, Nightblade made numerous guest appearances, and was a member of the short-lived Blood Pack. He was supposedly killed during Infinite Crisis, but who buys that?
1) Hitman
A high point for creators Garth Ennis and John McCrea, who worked together on the ongoing Hitman series for four years, plus an additional two on The Demon (within which Hitman was a supporting character.) I suspect Hitman was in the works before Bloodlines, as the super-powers bestowed upon Tommy Monaghan rarely figured heavily into his misadventures. Great character, swell series, glorious death, well remembered.
Maybe next time we'll do a top ten worst Bloodlines characters list? So many to choose from...
Once again, I find myself at odds with the poor guy, as his Top Five Bloodlines Characters left me scratching my hump. Gunfire, the man who could turn any piece of crap into an energy projectile, was the subject of a stupid stillborn solo series and much mockery. Didn't he accidentally blow his own ass off? Lionheart was an incredibly annoying tech-armored knight that plagued Justice League International during the nadir of its "who the hell are these people" European period. Loose Cannon was a blatant rip-off of the Peter David Hulk of the period, executed by Jeph Loeb in full hack mode. Nah, here's the top ten Bloodlines character from a source you should trust, given it's the name of this blog!
10) Angon
There were so many lousy New Bloods, I hate to validate them with even token inclusion here. Instead, how about I recognize that a ranking of Bloodlines characters technically includes the stars of the most annuals, the alien parasites? Angon was your typical hateful rebel badass chick, who just happened to become a heavily armored gargoyle thing. That is so much cooler than Layla, right?
9) Sparx
Take Kitty Pryde, make her part of the Clandestine (a secret family of super-humans,) and give her electrical powers. Sparx wasn't the deepest character, but she was alright, and she managed a comparatively lengthy publishing life as a member of the Blood Pack and the Ravers in a Superboy spin-off title. Surprisingly still among the living.
8) Geist
The thing about Geist is that he's basically Spider-Man with half-assed invisibility powers. However, he was drawn by Jim Balent in his prime, has an amusing personality, and looks generally cool. Killed in Infinite Crisis after the usual New Blood resume of sporadic appearances and Blood Pack membership.
7) Glonth
That name needs a permanent exclamation point behind it. Glonth! You rolly-polly bottomless pit of hunger and excess hair! Glonth! So many jokes at your expense, but you had such personality!
6) Ballistic
A John Woo loving good cop in dirty Gotham town, Ballistic sprouted an insectoid exoskeleton and carried heavy artillery as a member of the Blood Pack. One of two surprisingly non-stereotypical Asian super-heroes on this list, so of course he was killed during Infinite Crisis
5) Lissik
Mitch Byrd is a master of drawing extra-curvey hotties, and lustful Lissik was like Christina Hendricks as a shape-shifting vampire. Need I continue?
4) Anima
I haven't read her debut appearance in twenty years, but I distinctly recall the New Titans annual being one of the worst reads of a terrible lot. Still, the premise of a punk rock girl who could release her masculine aggressive side as a spectral force is pretty cool. Anima developed a slew of really impressive additional powers in her year-plus solo series, which had an impossibly dense metaphysical mythology. Unfortunately, like most New Bloods, she's been repeatedly used as cannon fodder. Last I heard, she was bisected, but I bet she could come back from that.
3) Argus
Nick Kelly was a cop deep undercover within the mob given meh powers by a parasite bite, but he had a strong story engine that carried him through numerous appearances in The Flash and a solid solo mini-series. Has the rare distinction of having had his eyes surgically removed repeatedly, and keeps bouncing back into action.
2) Nightblade
While very much a product of the '90s, Nightblade was still the rare Asian-American hero whose identity wasn't built upon martial arts mastery or math-fu. Further, Nightblade's super-power to regenerate from any injury was visually stunning, and comically macabre, as depicted by co-creator Mitch Byrd. Besides appearing in one of the best written and drawn Bloodlines annuals, Nightblade made numerous guest appearances, and was a member of the short-lived Blood Pack. He was supposedly killed during Infinite Crisis, but who buys that?
1) Hitman
A high point for creators Garth Ennis and John McCrea, who worked together on the ongoing Hitman series for four years, plus an additional two on The Demon (within which Hitman was a supporting character.) I suspect Hitman was in the works before Bloodlines, as the super-powers bestowed upon Tommy Monaghan rarely figured heavily into his misadventures. Great character, swell series, glorious death, well remembered.
Maybe next time we'll do a top ten worst Bloodlines characters list? So many to choose from...
Monday, September 13, 2010
DC75: "If I Can't Trust the President of the United States..." Action Comics #309 (February, 1964)
Hitler and Stalin weren't the only heads of state Superman has had notable relations with. The Man of Steel was in a secret identity SNAFU, having to appear on television with his alter ego Clark Kent, as well as many of his super-heroic pals. Who then could the Strange Visitor from Another Planet turn to for aid in impersonating Clark Kent? None other than John Fitzgerald Kennedy his own self, in a story published a month after his assassination! In a private room, Jack asked if he could remove his Kent disguise, while Superman complimented his perfect performance. "Superman-- I told you to call on me if ever you needed help-- and I'm glad you did! And I'll guard your secret identity as I guard the secrets of the nation!"
Superman concluded, "I realize that, sir! I knew I wasn't risking my secret identity with you! After all, if I can't trust the President of the United States, who can I trust?" The whole nation would soon ask themselves that question, whether because of Johnson's commitment to Vietnam or Dick Nixon's wiretapping scandal...
Sunday, September 12, 2010
The Daily Planet Weekend Review Section 9/12/10
Comics Panel: September 10, 2010 by the A.V. Club
Comic shop comics: Some recent books that aren't on my pull-list but that I bought off the shelf of a strange comic shop I visited by J. Caleb Mozzocco
Reviews...and a little Beefcake on the Side by SallyP
What I Read This Week: Tuesday, September 7, 2010 by El Jacone
Wednesday Is Blandest Day For All I Care #81 by Diabolu Frank
Todd Klein's "And Then I Read:"
COVER RUNTHE SPIRIT 2 & 3
IGN Comic Book Reviews for 09/09/10
Newsarama's Best Shots Comic Reviews:
IRON MAN, GREEK STREET, MoreSaturday, September 11, 2010
Direct Currents: Saturday, September 11, 2010
The 5 Best Modes of Transportation in Comics
A few variant covers for Thursday
Comic Book Legends Revealed #277
September 2010 Reader Art Gallery!
BLOGS
The Absorbascon
Pep 33: Nazis LOVE their opera
The Shield Custom Heroclix
Amazon Princess Cosplay Gallery
kelsey alexandragee
dragoncon 2010 wonder, from anna fischer flickr
alisa kiss at dragoncon 2010
More DragonCon Wonder Women
Knightly Knaves
The Anti-Didio League of America
Celebrating Ten Years of Batgirl: The Bat Meets The Cat
The Aquaman Shrine
Argentinian Tattoos - 1983
DC Comics Style Guide - 1999
Missed Opportunity: Best of DC Digest #31 - 1982
Jose Luis Garcia Lopez @ The Baltimore Comic Con - 2010
Brightest Day #9 - Oct. 2010
Atlantis Chronicles #4 - June 1990
Armagideon Time
Nobody’s Favorites: The Yazz
Being Carter Hall
Hawkgirl Plushie
Justice League By Jeff Lemire, Featruing Hawkman
Charlton vs Mighty MLJ's Blue Beetle Baddies Week
The Rogues Gallery
Magnetic Marauders
Maddening Monsters
Knightly Knaves
Sinister Shockers
The Man Himself
The Comic Treadmill
JLA Character Bandz
Showcase Presents Hawkman, Vol. One, Entry Six: Hawkman 1-3 (1964)
Comics Make Me Happy!
Why I Don't Care About Harvey Dent, and Neither Should You
Understated Panels
My Pull List
Does This Count As Beefcake?
Something I bet you never thought you'd see in a kid's comic...
Continued On 2nd Page Following
Saturday Cartoon: Green Lantern In "The Vanishing World"
Corner Symbols of Coolness
Vigilante
Diana Prince: Wonder Woman
The Top 20 Wonder Girl (Cassie Sandsmark) Covers
2010 Wonder Woman by Rogan Josh
2010 Wonder Woman Personas for Firefox
Diversions of the Groovy Kind
"The Saviors!" by DeMatteis & Gil Kane from Time Warp #2 (September, 1979)
The Adventures of Jerry Lewis #124 (February 1971)
El Jacone's Comic Book Bunker
Everybody's Linking For The Weekend
Every Day Is Like Wednesday
Some things I noticed about Action Comics #604
Forgive me if this is a stupid question, but...
Gay for Lois Lane
"Lois Lane's Super-Perfume!" from Superman's Girlfriend Lois Lane #68
Girls Gone Geek @ Dragon*Con 2010
Dragon*Con 2009
Tales From Dragon*Con 2010
Tales From Dragon*Con 2010 – Part Deux
Green Lantern Butt's FOREVER!
Green Lantern #57
The Idol-Head of Diabolu
2010 The Martian Manhunter Chronicles Vol. 1 by Tom Hartley & Urban
2008 The Canadian Defender Hero Tune-Up: Martian Manhunter.
1977 J'onn J'onzz Disapproving Convention Sketch by Michael Nasser
1987 Martian Manhunter Watercolor by Mark Badger
2008 George Pérez Justice League of America "Original Seven" Piece
Scipio is Back!
Justice League Detroit
2009 The Canadian Defender Hero Tune-Up: Aquaman.
2010 Aquaman by Rogan Josh
Kingdom Kane
Batgirl in "Downfall Of A Goliath!" rom Detective Comics No. 393, November 1969
Once Upon A Geek
DragonCon 2010 Photos Uploaded
Power of the Atom
The Palmer Posterior #6134014
Pretty, Fizzy Paradise
Why I love Legacy Characters...
Silver Age Comics
Teen Titans #15
What Century Is That?
Siskoid's Blog of Geekery
Dial H for 2nd Helping
Slay, Monstrobot of the Deep!!
Bold Fashion Choices--Oh My God, Jimmy Olsen Is HOT!!!
Friday Night Fights--Hal Jordan Gets Pimp-Slapped Style!!
TMI?
Supergirl Comic Box Commentary
Baltimore Comic-Con: Terry Moore Commission
Baltimore Comic-Con: Shane Davis Commission
Review: Action Comics #892
Review: R.E.B.E.L.S. #20
Review: Outsiders #32
Baltimore Comic-Con: Discussion With Sterling Gates and Jamal Igle
Friday, September 10, 2010
1992 Glonth Human Form Character Design by Arthur Adams
Click To Enlarge
Courtesy of @fter-studio. Glonth was probably my second favorite Bloodlines parasite, because he was this nasty, hairy, rotund young Santa Clause ball of ass that stood out from all his fellows. I appreciate his alternative body type, as well as the intentional and otherwise comedy that came out of his insatiable appetite. Finally, is it just me, or does Glonth's swelling really bring attention to that package under his belly and the armor keeping his rump in check? Gloth-- the other other other white meat-- xeno-bear! Can you withstand his fuzzy manneries?
Courtesy of @fter-studio. Glonth was probably my second favorite Bloodlines parasite, because he was this nasty, hairy, rotund young Santa Clause ball of ass that stood out from all his fellows. I appreciate his alternative body type, as well as the intentional and otherwise comedy that came out of his insatiable appetite. Finally, is it just me, or does Glonth's swelling really bring attention to that package under his belly and the armor keeping his rump in check? Gloth-- the other other other white meat-- xeno-bear! Can you withstand his fuzzy manneries?
Thursday, September 9, 2010
DC75: How Superman Would End The War... (Look, February 1940)
According to comics historian Les Daniels, Jerry Siegel and Joe Shuster were hired by Look magazine to put together a two page fantasy of how their popular recent creation Superman would resolve World War II. The Man of Steel simply plowed through the respective armies of Adolph Hitler and Joseph Stalin to capture the fiends and see them placed on trial by the League of Nations. This was before the Soviets allied with the Allies, and as Daniels pointed out, such stories only exposed the limits of Superman's power in addressing the real world. Still, it was swell to see, it really ticked off zee Germans, and who could ever forget a line like "I'd like to land a strictly non-Aryan sock on your jaw, but there's no time for that!" What, you didn't know Superman was really a Jewish Torontonian? "American Way" my cloven hoof...
Check out more highlights from the past 75 years of DC Comics at The Truly Most Memorable Moments of the DC Dodranscentennial
Wednesday, September 8, 2010
Rench's Introduction to Elementary Nursing
My name is Nurse Rench, and I will be your instructor in Elementary Nursing 101. I have been practicing since 1987, and have fought hard to stamp out the image of Sairy Gamp. If I could, I would plunge my sturdy digits into either side of her stout maw, rend her jawbone and upper palette from her despicable face, grind the bone with mortar and pestle, then bake it all into a meat cake to serve her for dinner. Figuratively, I should say, as that act would violate my role as a registered nurse.
Nursing sprang from the traditional role of women as sister, daughter, wife, mother and occasional prostitute for rent money. This was the female as caretaker of the home and the greater community. Men and the unmarried woman in the poor paying profession were treated like dirty, stupid, conniving, non-turn-signaling, thieving, unhygienic, no-tipping, toothless, puddle-splashing, leprous, balding, depraved, check-bouncing, chronically-masturbating criminals of low character and funky feet. This was partly true, but also a product of the typical patriarchal thinking of man-doctors protecting their withered, limp little reputations from the woman superior in her native realm. The popular redemption of nurses began with Florence Nightingale, whose sanitary techniques and well-rounded nursing theories saved many good soldiers from nose-picking, amputation happy mad "doctors" who should have stuck to their day job as barbers. Other wartime heroines continued this trend, and on through to the present, thanks to the representation of “Hot Lips” Houlihan and the esteemed Nurses Naughty, Ratched, Jackie, HawthoRNe and Chapel of the Starship Enterprise.
A patient is defined as a person who is under medical care or treatment. As the shortage of health care professionals against an ever-growing population calls for a better educated public, and as little time spent in hospital as possible, this term is increasingly narrow in usage. More commonly, we have consumers, a person or organization that uses a commodity or service. Rather than mute handmaidens or midwives consigned to the shadow of doctors, nurses now have the freedom of the rōnin, lordless samurai in service to homeopathy who must uphold the code of our profession until death, or else lose our honor and be condemned to eleven hells of our own design. We must ever aspire to be shōgun of health, upholding the best interests of our client, a person who engages the advice or services of a qualified professional.
Nurse! Stand at attention! Tell me what is the scope of nursing! To drive forth health and wellness, to crush illness, to restore the exaltation of the healthy, and to ease the lamentation of the dying! You may perform these duties in hospitals, but you might also roam from home to home, entertain the ambulatory at clinical pagoda, open your own dōjō, serve the misbegotten at community agencies, attended the dank temple of the dread lord HMO, or dwell like a noble vulture over extended care facilities for the aged and infirm. El Pien, you are tasked to act as an agent of change, afforded the responsibility which comes with the autonomy granted by whichever jurisdiction through which you pass. Seek the Nurse Practice Act of your territory, and know your own limitations. Understand that you must always observe the Standards of Nursing Practice, but mind the feudal lords of your region, who may make additional demands of your personage.
I am every woman. It is all in me. I am every nurse, and must function simultaneously in every functional capacity of my chosen profession. I am the caregiver, preserving the integrity of my client in mind, body and spirit, assuring their continued dignity and maintaining their esteem. I will restore my client to fullest greatness possible. I am the communicator, ears perked, eyes keen, nose sniffing, tongue clicking, fingers probing, and mind calculating all before me. I will comprehend-- I will determine-- I will rapport. I am the teacher, educating my client and their clan in the bushidō of vitality. My own inferior delegates will be wizened by my knowledge.I am ombudsman, an advocate to my client before physicians, kin, and whomever would deviate from their will. I shall be their steely tongue. I am the counselor, addressing their psychological and social stresses. Neither Svengali nor sycophant, I will see to their emotional and intellectual well-being. I am change agent, an explosive catalyst in the trench war, down with the sickness. I will drop like a hydrogen bomb in the land of confusion, abreast of advancements and options, obliterating our enemies. I am a leader, influencing all interested parties and directing them toward the optimal. I am a manager, spying upon and directing ancillary drones in service to the client. I am the case manager, part of a multidisciplinary team in assessing the effectiveness of our strategies. I am a research consumer, ever questing for the best services and developments for my client.
Nurse Potential, you as I must unrelentingly be a professional. This is an occupation requiring extensive education, exceptional knowledge, precise skill, careful preparation, and willingness to yoke oneself wholly to service as prescribed by our ethical and operational code. You are in the process of professionalization, but you cannot be a Professional until you embody our spirit, our character, our creed. You are allowed to profit from your services, but the service itself must be your paramount motivation. Whatever the personal cost, against all adversity, you must be conditioned to know your role. In nearly all circumstances, you will be the last acting agent, with the accountability of all resting on your shoulders. No attorney can defend you, no responsibility can be shirked. Atlas' shrug dooms all.
Enough. Our class time is over. Go read on your own time, for all of your time, or you will fail my class...
See also: American Nurses Association's STANDARDS OF PROFESSIONAL NURSING PRACTICE
National Student Nurses’ Association, Inc. Code of Academic and Clinical Conduct (PDF)
Benner's Stages of Clinical Competence, not to be confused with Banner's Stages of Gamma Radiation Exposure.
Tuesday, September 7, 2010
DC75: "Marvel Meets Mr. Mind" (Captain Marvel Adventures #26, 1943)
I strive for diversity in these posts, but find myself routinely stymied by a lack of ready reference material. I've searched the internet and found some though, and since Robby Reed at Dial B For Blog did such a fine job on this entry already in his 142nd edition, I'll let him explain it...
At 24 issues, it was the longest Golden Age story ever told, and also one of the whackiest and wildest. Captain Marvel versus the Monster Society of Evil, a group composed of Cap's entire rogue's gallery and then some. The physical appearance of the Society's leader, Mr. Mind, was not revealed until almost a year into the story -- causing a sensation that fans still remember to this day! Because Mr. Mind was far from a typical evil mastermind, the revelation of his identity was nothing less than SHOCKING! You see, reader, Mr. Mind was actually...
...a super intelligent mutant alien worm that wore glasses and spoke through a speaker box around his neck!
Check out more highlights from the past 75 years of DC Comics at The Truly Most Memorable Moments of the DC Dodranscentennial
Monday, September 6, 2010
Direct Currents: Monday, September 6, 2010
BLOGS
The Aquaman Shrine
Missed Opportunity: DC 75 Poster Book - 2010
JLA #207 T-Shirt
Firefox Personas
Aqua-Poll!
Cover to Cover: DC Special Blue Ribbon Digest #5
Armagideon Time
The Plutonium Man…
Being Carter Hall
The Music Of DC Comics
Read: Brightest Day #8
Charlton vs Mighty MLJ
Team-Up Tuesdays: Malevolent Mobsters
World's Wickedest Wednesdays: Ancient Adversaries Again!
Fawcett Fridays: Odds and Ends Wrap-Up
Comics Make Me Happy!
Two Batmen? I've got a better idea...
75 Favorite Moments in DC History: Number 54
75 Favorite Moments in DC History: Number 53
Continued On 2nd Page Following
I'm Slightly Disappointed...
Back Issue Highlights: Batman Family #13, 1977
Camp in Darkness: Screen Test for Sixties Batman
Diana Prince: Wonder Woman
2007 Wonder Girl Donna Troy Baltimore Comic-Con Sketch by Stephane Roux
Diversions of the Groovy Kind
"The Island of No Return" & "Don't Cry for Uncle Malcolm"
"The Man Who Murdered Himself!" from House of Mystery #179 (December 1968)
El Jacone's Comic Book Bunker
Eclipso: Music Of The Spheres
Every Day Is Like Wednesday
I recently learned something new: Beast Boy was originally totally awesome
Firestorm Fan
How Doreen Found Out
Girls Gone Geek
You can’t handle Batman’s cosplay, baby!
The Idol-Head of Diabolu
Manhunter from Mars Annual #2 (1985)
1991 Impel DC Comics Cosmic Cards "1992 Series" #130
Justice League Detroit
2010 "Zatanna magic" Persona for Firefox
Once Upon A Geek
Joker, Lex Luthor, and Winnie-the-Pooh a la Calvin & Hobbes
Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine
"The Witch Of Wailing Woods," from Plastic Man #42, 1953
Power of the Atom
2010 Hawkman and The Atom Drawing by Jeff Lemire
Siskoid's Blog of Geekery
Doom Patrol Salutes the King
Slay, Monstrobot of the Deep!!
Bold Fashion Choices--40 Years Ago, Pretty Was "Passe"
Supergirl Comic Box Commentary
Review: Superman/Batman #75
Sunday, September 5, 2010
The Daily Planet Weekend Review Section 9/5/10
AICN Comic Reviews Shipping Week: 8/18/10
AICN Comic Reviews Shipping Week: 8/25/10
Comics Panel: August 27, 2010 by the A.V. Club
The Buy Pile 8/25/10 by Hannibal Tabu
The Buy Pile 9/1/10 by Hannibal Tabu
Comic shop comics: August 25th by J. Caleb Mozzocco
Thursday's Reviews of Wednesday's Comics : August 26, 2010 by SallyP
Thursday's Reviews of Wednesday's Comics : September 02, 2010 by SallyP
What I Read This Week: Monday, August 30, 2010 by El Jacone
Wednesday Is Radical For All I Care #79 by Diabolu Frank
Wednesday Is Vertigo Sampling For All I Care #80 by Diabolu Frank
IGN Comic Book Reviews for 09/01/10
Todd Klein's "And Then I Read:"
FIRST WAVE 2AMERICAN VAMPIRE 3 & 4
WARLORD 14 & 15
THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE 1-3
BATMAN & ROBIN 13
Newsarama's Best Shots Comic Reviews:
SCARLET, FREEDOM FIGHTERS, MoreWOLVERINE, BALTIMORE, GREEN HORNET
MAGDALENA, MOUSE GUARD, More
WONDER WOMAN, AVENGERS, More
BATMAN, CAPTAIN AMERICA, More
Saturday, September 4, 2010
Gotham Community College LPN Application Procedure Overview
Hello, I'm Doctor Leslie Thompkins. I spent decades overseeing a free clinic in Gotham City's stricken Bowery District, too often identified through the inappropriate and highly derogatory nickname of "Crime Alley." Unfortunately, I ran afoul of a local billionaire who shall remain nameless, and as part of my rebuilding process, I am currently offering this brief online preparatory piece for potential nursing students at Gotham Community College (home of the Killer Crocs, I am told, to much dismay.)
Prospective students must first complete an application and supply educational transcripts, such as a GED, high school diploma, or college documentation. I must stress your sources must be properly accredited, and that disreputable online schools or organizations such as Professor Proxon’s Crime College do not meet minimum requirements to allow student entry. Foreign transcripts will also need to be evaluated by the school's nursing office, as many credits will not transfer, depending on your school and country. Transcripts from Badhnisia or Modora should be requested a minimum of eight months in advance to assure timely receipt. Also, I'm afraid the dreadful Patriot Act prohibits our accepting any applicants from Zandia, as it is regarded as a terrorist state. Such persons should please exit quietly without further contact, or I am compelled by law to report your presence to the NSA.
All prospective students must take the NIGMA college placement exam and score a minimum score of 7 in math, reading and writing, or they must enroll in remedial classes to be brought up to speed.
Having successfully completed these prerequisites, prospective students will be placed in a pool and reviewed by the nursing staff. Typically, one in three will be accepted into the school's program, and will receive an introductory email if selected. You must reply to the email within 72 hours, and prepare for an orientation two weeks thereafter. It is here you will be told all of the shots you will be needing, your basic schedule, and other essential information. You will of course need current CPR training, and successfully pass criminal background checks and drug screens. This will be a hair follicle test, and let me forewarn you, Tar, Velocity 9, and Venom usage will all show up. Before being allowed into clinicals, you must have had a TB and Ivy Spoor screen, and provide proof of immunization against influenza, as well as a current tetanus booster. You must be immunized or have initiated a run for MMR, HepB, Varicella, and the Legacy Virus.
Total costs for all three semesters of our Licensed Practical Nurse program run about $5,000 and cover one calender year's worth of full time education. Your semester must be paid in full one week before the start of classes, or your registration will be put on hold, and eventually dropped. Books will run approximately $800. Barring your having taken Nutrition and Anatomy & Physiology earlier in the year, that will amount to five classes in the first semester covering 6-10 hour days, excluding lunches and breaks. These classes will begin two weeks following the orientation.
I wish you all the best of luck, and hope you will fully prepare yourselves before entering this daunting program.
Best,
L. Thompkins
Friday, September 3, 2010
Direct Currents: Friday, September 3, 2010
BLOGS
The Aquaman ShrineSugarloaf Aquaman
McDonald's Happy Meal Manta Ship - 2010
DC Super Powers Coloring Book, Ctd. - 1980s
Armagideon Time
Nobody’s Favorites: Faith
justice for all includes talking tigers
Being Carter Hall
Hawkman Animation Cell
Charlton vs Mighty MLJ
Marvel Mondays: Blonde Brickhouse Boys/Babes
The Comic Treadmill
Showcase Presents Hawkman, Vol. One, Entry Five: Mystery in Space 88-90; Brave and Bold 51 (1963-64)
Comics Make Me Happy!
75 Favorite Moments in DC History: Number 55
Read a Comic in Public Today!
Continued On 2nd Page Following
A Use for Old Cigar Boxes
Diana Prince: Wonder Woman
The Top 5 Doctor Cyber Covers
Diversions of the Groovy Kind
Time Warp #1: "The Man Who Could See Yesterday!" (July 1979)
El Jacone's Comic Book Bunker
Everybody's Linking For The Weekend
Every Day Is Like Wednesday
Some things I noticed about Action Comics Weekly #603
Firestorm Fan
DC Reprints Jason and Ronnie’s first meeting
Girls Gone Geek
Gail Simone’s Letter to “Everyone in Comics, Dammit”
Hit-Girl v. Huntress
Doing Our Geek Duty
Green Lantern Butt's FOREVER!
Well I'll Be!
The Idol-Head of Diabolu
Fifty Years of Despero
Despero: The Fifth Most Important Martian Manhunter Adversary
2010 When Words Collide: THE SUPERHERO PANTHEON: PART TWO
2010 "Heroes In Need" Martian Manhunter by Daniel Irizarri
JLA-Z #1 Despero art by Dean Haspiel (November, 2003)
Justice League Detroit
Zatanna Gallery by Dale Eaglesham
Kingdom Kane
"A Clue . . . Seven-Foot Tall!" Batgirl adventure from Detective Comics No. 392, October 1969
Pappy's Golden Age Comics Blogzine
The Three Mouseketeers #3, 1956
Power of the Atom
2006 Damage Unmasking Sketch by Dale Eaglesham
Pretty, Fizzy Paradise
Batman and The Bechdel Test
Reilly2040's Blog
Green Lantern Corps #51
Siskoid's Blog of Geekery
Dial H for Hevaluation: House of Mystery #153
Slay, Monstrobot of the Deep!!
Bold Fashion Choices--BEST. TUXEDO. EVER.
Supergirl Comic Box Commentary
Baltimore Comic-Con: Jamal Igle Commission
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