Wednesday, November 17, 2004

Fine Print

And here's a great example of why you should always read an eBay listing very carefully before you bid.

• Posted at 6:58 PM · LINK

Fred Sales in the Sunset

Above, we see two versions of the cover of Daredevil #37 — and don't worry if they're too small. They enlarge if you'll only click on them.

At left is the cover as it appeared on the comic book I purchased off the stands, lo these many years ago. It was expertly drawn by Gene Colan and Frank Giacoia, two fine craftsmen.

At right is the cover as reinterpreted by Fred Hembeck, who has been filling comic books and comic book fanzines with his wonderful, enthusiastic cartooning for a few decades. I can't decide if I prefer when he takes a serious cover and makes it silly, or when he takes a silly cover like this one and makes it even sillier.

You probably cannot afford to purchase the original to a piece of art as fine as the Colan/Giacoia version. But if you scurry over to Fred's website and especially to this page, you can perhaps afford to buy the original to one of his wonderful re-creations...and for a lot less money than you'll pay if you wait a few years. Don't say I didn't warn you.

• Posted at 12:03 PM · LINK

TiVo Trauma

As delineated in this article [Los Angeles Times, registration required], the TiVo folks have come up with yet another way to swap the privacy of their users for a few dollars. I am of two minds about these little plans for the gathering of user data and the implementation of targeted advertising. On the one side, they don't seem all that invasive to me, and I do want to see the TiVo company stay in business. On the other, they're slowly chipping away at my right to watch what I want the way I want and at my right to not be spied upon when I do. The "privacy" part bothers me more as a matter of principle than actual damage. I can't see any harm in TiVo compiling data that includes a list of what I watch and it could conceivably do some good in boosting the ratings for shows I like...but at some point, I suppose there will be a downside. It's like when I fill out a form somewhere and I'm asked for seemingly irrelevant but unimportant data. I think, "I can't imagine any harm in them knowing this about me but — somewhere, sometime — someone will figure out a way to use it against me."

Here's the big problem with this new incursion on our viewing sovereignty, and it's a small possible drawback. The new policy involves TiVo bombarding us with pop-up ads as we fast-forward through commercials. One of the worst-kept secrets on the Internet is that TiVo has an undocumented capability. By punching a few buttons, you can program your remote to have a 30-second skip feature...so when they start a 2-minute commercial break, you just grab the remote, hit a certain button four times...and you're completely past the ads without having to see more than a fraction of a second of each. Does this new policy mean that some future TiVo software upgrade will take this away? I'm hoping it doesn't but it probably does.

• Posted at 10:15 AM · LINK

Important Question

Is Abe Vigoda alive? Let's find out over at www.abevigoda.com.

• Posted at 12:29 AM · LINK

Rage Against the Recliner

Conan O'Brien has made a star out of a graphic designer on his staff, a serious gent named Pierre Bernard. Fred Hembeck, who also remembers when Pierre used to be a comic book letterer, sends me this link to an article on the guy. [CAUTION: This is a link to a site that may ask you for your zip code and age.]

• Posted at 12:19 AM · LINK

Here's an Amazon link

Here's an Amazon link to order George Carlin's latest book, When Will Jesus Bring the Pork Chops? It's a funny book by a funny man. Much of it has to do with euphemisms — fancy or inefficient words we use when there's a simple and more direct one. I think he belabors these at times but he's darned amusing, and there's more than enough genuine insight in his work to satisfy me. There was a period not long ago when we were treated (that's not the right word) to a lot of very poor books by stand-up comedians, often putting their acts on paper and taking an author's credit for recycling material that they purchased from comedy writers. Carlin's books are mostly new stuff and all by him.

Which brings me to how I spent last evening. I went to hear Harry Shearer interview George Carlin before a sold-out audience of Carlin fans. Shearer's a pretty funny guy, too, but the spotlight was on Mr. Carlin who discussed many of the topics from his book plus the recent presidential election, getting fired in Las Vegas, serving in the Air Force, smoking marijuana, becoming disillusioned with Christianity and the human race (in that order), why he doesn't consider himself a cynic, why there aren't more great stand-up comics these days, Michael Jackson, the futility of protest movements, his general working procedure and a host of other topics. Naturally, I don't agree with the man on everything. No one would...and that made for an interesting kind of nervous energy in the room. The place was, of course, filled with people who generally love Carlin and what he says, and for most of the evening, they (we) laughed and applauded. But every so often, like when he said he thought Michael Jackson was the greatest entertainer in the world and should be left alone to perform, even with children, you could sense the audience withdraw slightly. No one booed but the energy waves in the room were a little unsettled, and you could practically hear people rolling what he'd said over in their minds, wondering if they were wrong and this usually-so-perceptive gent was right. Before they came to any decision, he'd be on to another, less arguable topic and the sense of the hall would swing back his way.

One of Carlin's great strengths as a comic is his willingness to say what audiences don't want to hear, or think they don't want to hear. He has great perception when he talks of everyday, harmless occurrences...but he also has the guts to go against popular and/or polite opinion. He'll venture into areas like "cripples" and 9/11 and aspects of religion that a lesser comedian would sidestep. Too sensitive. Too many potential landmines.

Carlin ventures in and as often as not, hits on something that causes you to say, "Hey...he's right about that." At times, I find myself laughing at the fact that I'm laughing at something that was right in front of me but concealed by a bogus air of propriety or — to use a term I dislike — political correctness. Occasionally, I even find myself chuckling at an observation where I disagree with his viewpoint. I guess when you're funny enough, you can do that...and it probably explains why the man's been so successful for so long. He doesn't play it safe. He just plays it for laughs.

• Posted at 12:12 AM · LINK

November 18, 2004 • Current • November 16, 2004