12.31.10 - And there it is - the last of 2010's drawings. I've got some ideas for activities for 2011, and I'm pretty stoked about it!
Friday, December 31, 2010
The Last Daily Sketch
12.31.10 - And there it is - the last of 2010's drawings. I've got some ideas for activities for 2011, and I'm pretty stoked about it!
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Rapunzel, Rapunzel
I saw Tangled last week, and I'm still not 100% sure about how I feel about it. History has proven that I love Disney done well, but I can't quite figure out if Tangled fits into that category or not.
There's one thing about the movie I know for certain, though: Rapunzel herself may be my new favorite Disney princess.
Tangled has a lot of less-desirable elements that have come to plague modern animated movies - uninspired music, stupid plot contrivances, and character designs that dance gaily in the depths of the uncanny valley. Not to mention those stupid animal sidekicks. Man, did I HATE the horse.
Truthfully, at first glance, Tangled looked quite a bit like a Dreamworks animated picture, an association that for me carries very few positive qualifications. Especially when you looked at the movie's slapstick trailer, which focused almost exclusively on Flynn Rider getting the crap kicked out of him by Rapunzel's hair.
It's almost like Disney didn't have any faith in the strength of their main character, so they shifted the focus of their marketing away from her. Heck, they even changed the title of the movie to deflect attention from the princess - Tangled implying that someone ELSE is caught up in Rapunzel's hair, not the princess herself.
Why WASN'T the movie called Rapunzel, anyway? Seriously, after about twenty minutes, all I wanted to do was watch Rapunzel. She's about the most 3D character I've ever seen in a Disney movie, and that has very little to do with the computer modelling.
Rapunzel strikes me as being very REAL (in an exaggerated, cartoony way, sure, but still real). When Rapunzel finally makes the decision to break away from her mother's control and venture out beyond the tower, she reacts... pretty much like you'd expect someone to, with a mixture of excitement and guilt. The way she switches so dramatically between these two emotions makes for a great montage, but it also accurately reflects the mood swings of a teenager.
Not only is she realistic, but she's incredibly confident and capable - moreso than any Disney princess besides Mulan (and, seriously, who counts Mulan as a princess other than the Disney marketing department?). Rapunzel is HARDLY a helpless damsel in distress, even though she is being held captive in a tower against her will. She takes on Flynn Rider all by herself, she stares down the thugs and ruffians in the tavern alone, and she even tames... sigh... that $#%^in' horse.
The absolute BEST part about Rapunzel's characterization, though, is that she's not completely helpless for no reason when the plot requires her to get captured. Remember that scene when she's attacked by Flynn Rider's old associates? She stumbles about and screams for help like any good old helpless female does. See, I got to this point in the movie and asked, "What happened to the strong girl that acted so confidently back in the mine?"
Then I realized the answer: HER HAIR IS BRAIDED. That extraordinary long hair isn't just a fashion statement for Rapunzel - it's the source of her strength and confidence (at least at this point in the flick). She uses her hair as a weapon when she needs to get out of trouble, but, with her hair in that thick braid, she's completely unarmed.
It's too bad that Rapunzel gets saddled with such lazy supporting characters and lackluster musical numbers. (Seriously, when I heard Rapunzel's first song, I thought Miley Cyrus was doing her voice, and that's NOT a compliment to anyone). Still, the character herself is well-crafted and incredibly likable, so I'm pretty sure, if anyone asks whether I like Tangled or not, I'll have to answer in the affirmative.
Or, you know, go off on a twenty-minute rant on how I coulda made the movie better.
There's one thing about the movie I know for certain, though: Rapunzel herself may be my new favorite Disney princess.
"He really LIKES me!"
Tangled has a lot of less-desirable elements that have come to plague modern animated movies - uninspired music, stupid plot contrivances, and character designs that dance gaily in the depths of the uncanny valley. Not to mention those stupid animal sidekicks. Man, did I HATE the horse.
I'm sure the feeling is mutual.
Truthfully, at first glance, Tangled looked quite a bit like a Dreamworks animated picture, an association that for me carries very few positive qualifications. Especially when you looked at the movie's slapstick trailer, which focused almost exclusively on Flynn Rider getting the crap kicked out of him by Rapunzel's hair.
Remember this scene from the movie? No?
It's almost like Disney didn't have any faith in the strength of their main character, so they shifted the focus of their marketing away from her. Heck, they even changed the title of the movie to deflect attention from the princess - Tangled implying that someone ELSE is caught up in Rapunzel's hair, not the princess herself.
Why WASN'T the movie called Rapunzel, anyway? Seriously, after about twenty minutes, all I wanted to do was watch Rapunzel. She's about the most 3D character I've ever seen in a Disney movie, and that has very little to do with the computer modelling.
Rapunzel strikes me as being very REAL (in an exaggerated, cartoony way, sure, but still real). When Rapunzel finally makes the decision to break away from her mother's control and venture out beyond the tower, she reacts... pretty much like you'd expect someone to, with a mixture of excitement and guilt. The way she switches so dramatically between these two emotions makes for a great montage, but it also accurately reflects the mood swings of a teenager.
Not only is she realistic, but she's incredibly confident and capable - moreso than any Disney princess besides Mulan (and, seriously, who counts Mulan as a princess other than the Disney marketing department?). Rapunzel is HARDLY a helpless damsel in distress, even though she is being held captive in a tower against her will. She takes on Flynn Rider all by herself, she stares down the thugs and ruffians in the tavern alone, and she even tames... sigh... that $#%^in' horse.
They say this cat Rapunzel is a bad mother- Shut your mouth!
The absolute BEST part about Rapunzel's characterization, though, is that she's not completely helpless for no reason when the plot requires her to get captured. Remember that scene when she's attacked by Flynn Rider's old associates? She stumbles about and screams for help like any good old helpless female does. See, I got to this point in the movie and asked, "What happened to the strong girl that acted so confidently back in the mine?"
Then I realized the answer: HER HAIR IS BRAIDED. That extraordinary long hair isn't just a fashion statement for Rapunzel - it's the source of her strength and confidence (at least at this point in the flick). She uses her hair as a weapon when she needs to get out of trouble, but, with her hair in that thick braid, she's completely unarmed.
Nice fashion choice. Poor tactical decision.
It's too bad that Rapunzel gets saddled with such lazy supporting characters and lackluster musical numbers. (Seriously, when I heard Rapunzel's first song, I thought Miley Cyrus was doing her voice, and that's NOT a compliment to anyone). Still, the character herself is well-crafted and incredibly likable, so I'm pretty sure, if anyone asks whether I like Tangled or not, I'll have to answer in the affirmative.
Or, you know, go off on a twenty-minute rant on how I coulda made the movie better.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
SEXISM WARNING: This post is SEXIST, and so is the SEXIST who wrote it
You have been warned.
A friend of mine recently got burned by a girl - an EVIL girl with fangs and ice and venom in her veins. Since I, myself, have recently also fallen victim to the devious machinations of one of these nefarious harpies, we decided to stage a protest against the laughably named "fairer sex" by egging the houses of all the women we knew and burning copies of O magazine.
Offended yet?
Okay, here's what really happened. My friend DID have a bit of a heartbreak recently: a girl he had been dating around with announced on Facebook that she is now in a relationship with someone else. That same day, one of my old exes announced her engagement.
(She's a sometimes-reader of this blog, so, if she reads this, I'd like to say, "Congratulations!")*
Anyway, since these romantic revelations came on the same day, we decided that we'd get together and have a "No Girls Allowed" night - which, for us, consisted of playing Dominion and watching the BBC's new Sherlock Holmes series.
To help allay some of the "wrenching heartache" we were feeling, we told some of our favorite sexist jokes, which usually ended with the words "in the kitchen." Then, as the night went on and we got progressively more loopy, we started making up our own jokes, which... didn't make much sense:
Q: "Why should women not be allowed near knives?"
A: "Because there are no knives in the kitchen."
Q: "Why do women always hang out in groups?"
A: "Because there is no 'I' in 'kitchen.'"
We're not very good at being sexist.
(As a side note: My friend's sister was actually in the room with us. So, if you're reading this, I'd just like to say how sorry I am that you had to see all this)
Anyway, so I checked out one of my all-time favorite webcomics on Monday, Kate Beaton's Hark! A Vagrant - strongly recommended to anyone with an interest in history and a tolerance for saucy language. Wouldn't you know it? Kate Beaton posted what is probably the best "Woman Joke" I've ever seen - and one which references "The Yellow Wallpaper" to boot:
Above: English major humor
From this little comic, I've learned how to make the best sexist jokes:
1 - Be a woman.
2 - Couch your sexist humor in an analysis of a literary critique of masculine dismissal of legitimate women's issues at the turn of the 20th century.
3 - Don't be sexist.
Lesson learned.
* If she doesn't read this, I'd like to say, "AUUGHABLAGHLGAAH! WHY MUST I BE ALOOOOONE?!?!?"
A friend of mine recently got burned by a girl - an EVIL girl with fangs and ice and venom in her veins. Since I, myself, have recently also fallen victim to the devious machinations of one of these nefarious harpies, we decided to stage a protest against the laughably named "fairer sex" by egging the houses of all the women we knew and burning copies of O magazine.
Offended yet?
Okay, here's what really happened. My friend DID have a bit of a heartbreak recently: a girl he had been dating around with announced on Facebook that she is now in a relationship with someone else. That same day, one of my old exes announced her engagement.
(She's a sometimes-reader of this blog, so, if she reads this, I'd like to say, "Congratulations!")*
Anyway, since these romantic revelations came on the same day, we decided that we'd get together and have a "No Girls Allowed" night - which, for us, consisted of playing Dominion and watching the BBC's new Sherlock Holmes series.
To help allay some of the "wrenching heartache" we were feeling, we told some of our favorite sexist jokes, which usually ended with the words "in the kitchen." Then, as the night went on and we got progressively more loopy, we started making up our own jokes, which... didn't make much sense:
Q: "Why should women not be allowed near knives?"
A: "Because there are no knives in the kitchen."
Q: "Why do women always hang out in groups?"
A: "Because there is no 'I' in 'kitchen.'"
We're not very good at being sexist.
(As a side note: My friend's sister was actually in the room with us. So, if you're reading this, I'd just like to say how sorry I am that you had to see all this)
Anyway, so I checked out one of my all-time favorite webcomics on Monday, Kate Beaton's Hark! A Vagrant - strongly recommended to anyone with an interest in history and a tolerance for saucy language. Wouldn't you know it? Kate Beaton posted what is probably the best "Woman Joke" I've ever seen - and one which references "The Yellow Wallpaper" to boot:
Above: English major humor
From this little comic, I've learned how to make the best sexist jokes:
1 - Be a woman.
2 - Couch your sexist humor in an analysis of a literary critique of masculine dismissal of legitimate women's issues at the turn of the 20th century.
3 - Don't be sexist.
Lesson learned.
* If she doesn't read this, I'd like to say, "AUUGHABLAGHLGAAH! WHY MUST I BE ALOOOOONE?!?!?"
Monday, December 27, 2010
One Year Later...
So here we are - three days from the end of 2010, or, as I'm calling it, "The Year of the Daily Sketch." And, yeah, I've done it - I've completed one sketch per day for the last year. And, boy, what a difference it's made.
So let's start at the beginning: here's the first sketch I did in 2010:
Fantastic, no?
Well, it's one year later, and now I've got a sketch that looks like this:
Pretty marked improvement, if I do say so myself.
So let's start at the beginning: here's the first sketch I did in 2010:
Fantastic, no?
Well, it's one year later, and now I've got a sketch that looks like this:
Pretty marked improvement, if I do say so myself.
The above sketch took me about seven hours over two days to complete (if I hadn't been watching cartoons at the same time, I'd have gotten it done in about half the time). I obviously have a lot to learn about lines and coloring and not putting shirtless men in purple pants, but I've come a long way since last year.
Christmas Aftermath
Back when I was a kid, I loved hanging out with friends the week following Christmas to show off all the cool toys I got. Sadly, now that I'm an adult... I still get toys, and they're awesome, and I can share them with EVERYONE thanks to the magic of the internet.
Pigma Sensei Ink Pens
I'm a total novice when it comes to art equipment - I still haven't used the charcoal set I got for Christmas LAST year. However, even I can see the advantage of having a set of pens that draw lines of different widths. I've had a lot of fun experimenting with these in just these past two days.
Batman: The Animated Series
You know what I've been doing since December 25th? Drawing and watching this. I probably ate something as well between now and then, but I can't remember what.
LEGO Pirates Kraken Attackin
So last week I made some comment about how I missed having Legos to play with. Well, my mom took note, and sent my dad out into the harsh, unforgiving wasteland that is Toys R Us the week before Christmas to buy me the goofy little Lego set pictured above. And it is awesome.
The Complete Sherlock Holmes
Despite my doomsaying, I really enjoyed the Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes movie from this past summer, and the new BBC Sherlock series has been excellent from what I've seen so far. I'd been planning on picking the books up for a while now, but I hadn't really talked to anyone about it. So I was surprised to unwrap this impressive little volume.
Thanks for everything, Santa (even the socks, which were nice, but not cool enough to post on my blog).
Pigma Sensei Ink Pens
I'm a total novice when it comes to art equipment - I still haven't used the charcoal set I got for Christmas LAST year. However, even I can see the advantage of having a set of pens that draw lines of different widths. I've had a lot of fun experimenting with these in just these past two days.
Batman: The Animated Series
You know what I've been doing since December 25th? Drawing and watching this. I probably ate something as well between now and then, but I can't remember what.
LEGO Pirates Kraken Attackin
So last week I made some comment about how I missed having Legos to play with. Well, my mom took note, and sent my dad out into the harsh, unforgiving wasteland that is Toys R Us the week before Christmas to buy me the goofy little Lego set pictured above. And it is awesome.
The Complete Sherlock Holmes
Despite my doomsaying, I really enjoyed the Robert Downey Jr. Sherlock Holmes movie from this past summer, and the new BBC Sherlock series has been excellent from what I've seen so far. I'd been planning on picking the books up for a while now, but I hadn't really talked to anyone about it. So I was surprised to unwrap this impressive little volume.
Thanks for everything, Santa (even the socks, which were nice, but not cool enough to post on my blog).
Friday, December 24, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
A Christmas Farewell
Just said goodbye to one of my doctors, a psychologist, who won't be back until after the New Year. I, of course, had to express my disappointment that I have to go back to work on Monday.
"Hey, guy, it could be worse," the doctor said. "It could be me." He laughed. "That's what I say to all my patients."
"And that makes them better?" I asked.
"Well," he said, "they never come back after the first visit, so I guess so."
"Hey, guy, it could be worse," the doctor said. "It could be me." He laughed. "That's what I say to all my patients."
"And that makes them better?" I asked.
"Well," he said, "they never come back after the first visit, so I guess so."
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Why I'm Still Single 24
True story, more or less. The embarrassing part isn't that people couldn't follow my esoteric references, but that it was a Wonder Twins reference that tripped me up.
Tuesday, December 21, 2010
Daily Sketches
12.5.10-12.6.10 - Okay, kids are a LOT of fun to draw.
Kids in oversized top hats are even better.
There's only one thing that can top that...
EVIL kids in oversized top hats!
12.7.10-12.8.10 - You know, I just barely figured out what's wrong with this picture: I made the two people in the foreground MUCH smaller than the people in the background. Whoops.
12.13.10 - Another cranky old man. Almost as fun to draw as evil kids in oversized top hats.
And now for a Christmas miracle:
12.20.10 - COLOR!!!
My first real attempt at coloring one of my pictures taught me a lot about how to color. Specifically, I learned that there's a lot that I need to learn still:
1 - Mechanical pencils leave deep grooves in the paper that colored pencils don't fill in.
2 - "Peach" is no longer really an acceptable color choice for a person's skin.
3 - The texture of the color is almost as important as the color itself.
So, yeah, lots to learn still. But I have a color sketch now, which I'm pretty sure justifies me in throwing my hands up like a player.
Five Worst Christmas Songs
After last week's uncharacteristic bout of cheerfulness, I decided to get back to what I know best: irrational hatred of prominent pieces of pop culture. Here are my five least favorite Christmas songs.
5 - "New Deal for Christmas"
Annie is a story all about escapism and wish-fulfillment: a young orphan suddenly becomes rich and happy on account of her being so gosh-darned adorable.
Annie's finale is supposed to be a happy one, but hearing the main characters sing about the New Deal on the eve of World War II does little to bring the warm Christmas fuzzies to my heart.
Last time I heard this song, I couldn't help but substitute my own lyrics:
"Hitler is invading Poland."
"Watch out for those planes at Pearl Harbor."
"Oppenheimer's got the A-Bomb this year."
"The Jews are all dying in Auschwitz."
Sorry, Annie. You just picked the wrong time to be optimistic.
4 - "Happy Holidays/The Holiday Season"
By itself, the song "Happy Holidays" is pretty inoffensive. However, when it's paired with the unconscionably cheerful "The Holiday Season," the whole thing falls apart.
Christmas swing music's always struck me as being a bit... weird. "The Holiday Season" makes an even worse impression for all the forced cutesy pleasantries -"Whoopty Doo and Dickery Dock."
Seriously, it sounds like someone's making up swear words. And in a Christmas song, too. Santa'd be displeased.
3 - "Santa Baby"
Geez. I don't know what's worse: the unabashed glamorization of the commercial side of Christmas, the vaguely sexual references, or the fact that the singer is trying to get a booty call from THIS GUY:
Horrifying.
2 - "Christmas Shoes"
Let's see...
A poor boy tries to spend his last coin on a pair of shoes for his mother who's about to die on Christmas Eve. The whole story is related by a vaguely country-sh singer accompanied by a choir of angelic children. Our icy, Grinchy hearts are supposed to melt when the boy says, with a sob in his throat, "I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight."
The reason this song's not #1 is because it means well. Unfortunately, like the Republican Party, it just tries too darn hard.
1 - "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas"
Oh, and the other reason "Christmas Shoes" is at #2 is because I HATE THIS BLOODY SONG! It's the most frivolous, ridiculous, stupid thing a person could possibly sing about. And the singer... Even for a ten-year-old female country singer, her voice is obnoxious.
Yes, I KNOW this is a novelty song, and therefore shouldn't be taken that seriously. Still, since Christmas is a time of year that's all about memory and nostalgia, you have to know where I'm coming from. If the best part of Christmas past was falling asleep in the backseat of my parents' car listening to "Silent Night," then the WORST part was being roused for my grandpa's company Christmas party at 4:30 in the morning and TRYING to fall asleep against the sound of Gayla Peevey complaining about how "rhinocerouseses" don't love her as much as "hippopotamuseses."
GAH! This song makes me want to clean my ears out with a nail file!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Two frequent contenders for the Worst Christmas Song Ever award, Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" and Wham's "Last Christmas," didn't appear on this list. The reason I didn't include them is because... well... I... umm...
I actually kinda like 'em.
Well, statistically, SOMEONE had to, right?
5 - "New Deal for Christmas"
Annie is a story all about escapism and wish-fulfillment: a young orphan suddenly becomes rich and happy on account of her being so gosh-darned adorable.
Annie's finale is supposed to be a happy one, but hearing the main characters sing about the New Deal on the eve of World War II does little to bring the warm Christmas fuzzies to my heart.
Last time I heard this song, I couldn't help but substitute my own lyrics:
"Hitler is invading Poland."
"Watch out for those planes at Pearl Harbor."
"Oppenheimer's got the A-Bomb this year."
"The Jews are all dying in Auschwitz."
Sorry, Annie. You just picked the wrong time to be optimistic.
4 - "Happy Holidays/The Holiday Season"
By itself, the song "Happy Holidays" is pretty inoffensive. However, when it's paired with the unconscionably cheerful "The Holiday Season," the whole thing falls apart.
Christmas swing music's always struck me as being a bit... weird. "The Holiday Season" makes an even worse impression for all the forced cutesy pleasantries -"Whoopty Doo and Dickery Dock."
Seriously, it sounds like someone's making up swear words. And in a Christmas song, too. Santa'd be displeased.
3 - "Santa Baby"
Geez. I don't know what's worse: the unabashed glamorization of the commercial side of Christmas, the vaguely sexual references, or the fact that the singer is trying to get a booty call from THIS GUY:
"Ho Ho Ho! Who's your daddy?"
Horrifying.
2 - "Christmas Shoes"
Let's see...
A poor boy tries to spend his last coin on a pair of shoes for his mother who's about to die on Christmas Eve. The whole story is related by a vaguely country-sh singer accompanied by a choir of angelic children. Our icy, Grinchy hearts are supposed to melt when the boy says, with a sob in his throat, "I want her to look beautiful if Mama meets Jesus tonight."
The reason this song's not #1 is because it means well. Unfortunately, like the Republican Party, it just tries too darn hard.
1 - "I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas"
Oh, and the other reason "Christmas Shoes" is at #2 is because I HATE THIS BLOODY SONG! It's the most frivolous, ridiculous, stupid thing a person could possibly sing about. And the singer... Even for a ten-year-old female country singer, her voice is obnoxious.
Yes, I KNOW this is a novelty song, and therefore shouldn't be taken that seriously. Still, since Christmas is a time of year that's all about memory and nostalgia, you have to know where I'm coming from. If the best part of Christmas past was falling asleep in the backseat of my parents' car listening to "Silent Night," then the WORST part was being roused for my grandpa's company Christmas party at 4:30 in the morning and TRYING to fall asleep against the sound of Gayla Peevey complaining about how "rhinocerouseses" don't love her as much as "hippopotamuseses."
GAH! This song makes me want to clean my ears out with a nail file!
HONORABLE MENTIONS
Two frequent contenders for the Worst Christmas Song Ever award, Paul McCartney's "Wonderful Christmastime" and Wham's "Last Christmas," didn't appear on this list. The reason I didn't include them is because... well... I... umm...
I actually kinda like 'em.
Well, statistically, SOMEONE had to, right?
Monday, December 20, 2010
Ghost of Christmas Past
Above: The reassuring face of nostalgia
Saturday night, I got together with my immediate family to celebrate Christmas. My little niece, two years old, got an oddly-shaped package from my dad. She picked it up, and, suddenly, it started making an odd sound, almost like a muffled voice. My brothers immediately started laughing, because they knew exactly what it was. I didn't quite get what was going on, so I watched as my niece tore apart the wrapping paper and pulled out the toy.
It was an AG BEAR!!!
I had an AG Bear just like this when I was a kid. It's a little stuffed bear with a voice box that mimics and distorts voices around it, so you can have a conversation with it.
My niece wasn't interested at all - just before this, she had opened up a rocking horse that made real horse noises, so she just threw the bear to the ground. I picked the bear up and... wow. I remember being a child, hugging the bear for comfort if I was upset. I think I sat there, with the bear on my lap, for about a half-hour.
I don't think I've ever had that kind of visceral reaction to a TOY before. I don't really like emotions all that much - they're gross and sticky. Still, there I was, a twenty-seven year old man, fiercely independent with his own apartment, hugging a stuffed bear. And enjoying it.
So now I'm thinking I either REALLY wish I hadn't thrown this bear out so I had something to hug, or I REALLY need a girlfriend.
Friday, December 17, 2010
Favorite Christmas Music
For some recent comments I made I've been accused of being a bit of a Scrooge. While there may actually be some validity to that statement, I'd like to protest that Christmas is FUN. There's a lot of good stuff that happens this time of year that I absolutely love.
To prove it, here are some of my favorite Christmas musics:
5 - John Denver and the Muppets - A Christmas Together
4 - A Muppet Christmas Carol
I don't know how it happened that so much of my holiday cheer comes from the Muppets, but here you go. The John Denver collection has some genuinely touching Christmas music that I haven't heard many other places. And (I can't believe I'm admitting this on THE INTERNET of all places) I get just a little teary-eyed while watching A Muppet Christmas Carol and listening to "One More Sleep 'til Christmas" or "It Feels Like Christmas." Both are great soundtracks well-worth checking out.
3 - "The Hallelujah Chorus"
This is probably a leftover from my old high school choir days, but I think there's almost nothing else that captures the glory, the hope, and the promise that are supposed to accompany the birth of the Savior quite like Handel's Messiah. Good, good stuff.
2 - Mannheim Steamroller
Doesn't matter which one. Take your pick.
Growing up, Christmas meant falling asleep in the back seat of my parents' car while Mannheim Steamroller played Christmas music on the radio. If I seem a little jaded at Christmastime anymore, it's because I don't get to sleep in back seats anymore.
1 - A Candlelight Christmas
I don't know that anyone out side of Mr. Moore's high school choirs would know this particular collection of music, but it's some of the most beautiful music I've heard. The music tells the story of the nativity, from the angelic announcement to Mary's prayer to the birth of the Savior. The whole set culminates with a fantastic medley of "Silent Night" and "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" that STILL gets me choked up.
Most of the love I have for this collection comes from the fun I had singing it - which, to me, is totally fine. I mean, I think it's a little better to SING Christmas music than it is to LISTEN to it. That way, the Christmas spirit isn't something you passively enjoy - it's something you fully experience.
To prove it, here are some of my favorite Christmas musics:
5 - John Denver and the Muppets - A Christmas Together
4 - A Muppet Christmas Carol
I don't know how it happened that so much of my holiday cheer comes from the Muppets, but here you go. The John Denver collection has some genuinely touching Christmas music that I haven't heard many other places. And (I can't believe I'm admitting this on THE INTERNET of all places) I get just a little teary-eyed while watching A Muppet Christmas Carol and listening to "One More Sleep 'til Christmas" or "It Feels Like Christmas." Both are great soundtracks well-worth checking out.
3 - "The Hallelujah Chorus"
This is probably a leftover from my old high school choir days, but I think there's almost nothing else that captures the glory, the hope, and the promise that are supposed to accompany the birth of the Savior quite like Handel's Messiah. Good, good stuff.
2 - Mannheim Steamroller
Doesn't matter which one. Take your pick.
Growing up, Christmas meant falling asleep in the back seat of my parents' car while Mannheim Steamroller played Christmas music on the radio. If I seem a little jaded at Christmastime anymore, it's because I don't get to sleep in back seats anymore.
1 - A Candlelight Christmas
I don't know that anyone out side of Mr. Moore's high school choirs would know this particular collection of music, but it's some of the most beautiful music I've heard. The music tells the story of the nativity, from the angelic announcement to Mary's prayer to the birth of the Savior. The whole set culminates with a fantastic medley of "Silent Night" and "Oh Come All Ye Faithful" that STILL gets me choked up.
Most of the love I have for this collection comes from the fun I had singing it - which, to me, is totally fine. I mean, I think it's a little better to SING Christmas music than it is to LISTEN to it. That way, the Christmas spirit isn't something you passively enjoy - it's something you fully experience.
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Wednesday, December 15, 2010
Braddy Reads Megillat Esther
My continuing search for comics that MEAN something has taken a few depressing turns of late. I've been reading almost voraciously nearly every comic I find on these "Best Graphic Novel" lists, and I'm finding that... well... a lot of these writer/artists really like to show off what they learned in their figure drawing classes. Which, okay, doesn't make these stories BAD. When I read comics (or books in general), I'm not looking for a lot of graphic nudity and violence. I'm looking for a good, solid story with compelling visuals and (hopefully) some thought-provoking material.
So I figured what better way to avoid violence and immorality than by reading a story from the Bible.
Ah-Ba-Dum-Tish!
I found Megillat Esther by J. T. Waldman on a list of great comics for Hannukah. It's a graphic novel adaptation of the story of Esther, complete with rabbinical commentary.
I have to say that I enjoyed the experience of reading this book... but I wonder if maybe I'm not... JEWISH... enough to understand it.
That said, even I can appreciate artistically what's going on in this book. As you can see, the art is incredibly stylized. It's not quite my taste, but I still thought it fit. What's most impressive, though, is how the artist uses the comics space to tell the story.
About halfway through the book, about the point where the king rewards Mordechai after Haman's unintentional encouragement, the reader has to turn the book upside down to continue reading, forcing the reader to start reading the panels from right to left. It's a bit difficult to get the hang of (at least it was for me), but I found the effect fitting. Flipping the book creates a more "authentic" experience, as the original text would have been written from right to left. There's also a thematic connection, as the certain destruction of the Jews turns into a miraculous military victory, effectively turning predicted events on their heads.
Additionally, there are several nods throughout the text towards earlier Jewish history. There are quite a few of these references, so I won't mention them all. The most noteworthy to me appears towards the end of the text, as Esther draws nearer to her ultimate victory. Rachel and Leah, the mothers of the kingdom of Israel, appear in the margins and begin to argue over whose lineage is more successful. Again, I'm not sure I grasp the full significance of this moment, but the effect is pretty fantastic - and, really, it could only be done in graphic novel form.
I don't know that I LOVED the book, but I'm almost certainly not the target audience. Still, Megillat Esther was a fascinating read from a scholarly standpoint and well worth the time spent.
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Highs and Lows
HIGHS
1 - It's already been two weeks, but I'm still quite thrilled to have successfully completed NaNoWriMo. I mean, I've written a novel. How many people can say that?
(Okay, probably a few, but even so...)
I (finally) started the revision process last night, lying in bed with my laptop, pen and paper, and a Billy Joel CD on the stereo. It was a good night.
2 - It's been a week for renewing old acquaintances. Sunday, I ran into one of my best friends from college - a woman I haven't seen in what feels like forever. Turns out she goes to the same church building I do, just an hour earlier. While I was talking to her, I got a text message from one of my all-time favorite people I met on my mission.
If that's not enough, I actually had the opportunity to chat with one of my best friends from the Czech Republic. He isn't doing so hot (just had something of a breakup). It turns out consoling someone in a language you haven't spoken in five years is pretty tough.
Lucky I remembered how to swear.
3 - I've been a member of The Jesters Royale improv comedy troupe for over two years now, and some of you know I've been getting incredibly frustrated with how things for the team have been going. Well, I recently met with the artistic director of the Empress Theatre where the Jesters call home, and the discussion did a lot to alleviate some of my concerns. There's been talk of the team putting increased focus on teaching in local high schools, which is something I can TOTALLY get behind.
Plus, our shows have been completely awesome recently.
"Back in my day, we didn't have math. Numbers and music got all messed up. Back then, we sang, 'There's only three ways four say two words.'"
4 - I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how cool my ward has been recently. I've been meeting a lot of great new people (in this ward where I've spent the last two years of my life). New friends are always a good thing.
LOWS
1 - Okay, this one's a bit embarassing. A good friend invited me to go to a movie night/pajama party with a bunch of her friends. Now, I don't do big groups anyway - unless I'm the center of attention, they make me uncomfortable. The party was in Murray in a rather nice neighborhood (much nicer than my own, by the way, where the walls are falling apart piece by piece each day). It's the weirdest thing - in addition to the usual unease I feel in large group settings, I was hit with a severe case of status anxiety to the point where I completely shut down.
Luckily, it was a movie night, so I didn't really have to interact with anyone. Still, the whole night was a... disconcerting experience.
I got better.
2 - I'm pretty strapped for cash right now - first time this has happened in a LONG time. I've only got about $100, and with bills to pay, food to buy, and Christmas presents to... present... I'll be cutting it close this month. I DO have some savings, but I'm trying not to touch them. This is the first time I've had actual, genuine savings, after all, and I'd like not to blow it THIS quickly.
3 - You might recall that yesterday I posted a well-reasoned and impartial analysis of the movie Elf. Well, some parties took offense at my obviously superior line of reasoning and have decided to respond in a most aggressive way. Now, I could spend the time pointing out the gaps in this person's logic, or her complete failure to understand how to properly identify a Christ-figure in cinema, but I'm above that kind of thing.
1 - It's already been two weeks, but I'm still quite thrilled to have successfully completed NaNoWriMo. I mean, I've written a novel. How many people can say that?
(Okay, probably a few, but even so...)
I (finally) started the revision process last night, lying in bed with my laptop, pen and paper, and a Billy Joel CD on the stereo. It was a good night.
2 - It's been a week for renewing old acquaintances. Sunday, I ran into one of my best friends from college - a woman I haven't seen in what feels like forever. Turns out she goes to the same church building I do, just an hour earlier. While I was talking to her, I got a text message from one of my all-time favorite people I met on my mission.
If that's not enough, I actually had the opportunity to chat with one of my best friends from the Czech Republic. He isn't doing so hot (just had something of a breakup). It turns out consoling someone in a language you haven't spoken in five years is pretty tough.
Lucky I remembered how to swear.
3 - I've been a member of The Jesters Royale improv comedy troupe for over two years now, and some of you know I've been getting incredibly frustrated with how things for the team have been going. Well, I recently met with the artistic director of the Empress Theatre where the Jesters call home, and the discussion did a lot to alleviate some of my concerns. There's been talk of the team putting increased focus on teaching in local high schools, which is something I can TOTALLY get behind.
Plus, our shows have been completely awesome recently.
"Back in my day, we didn't have math. Numbers and music got all messed up. Back then, we sang, 'There's only three ways four say two words.'"
4 - I'd be remiss if I didn't mention how cool my ward has been recently. I've been meeting a lot of great new people (in this ward where I've spent the last two years of my life). New friends are always a good thing.
LOWS
1 - Okay, this one's a bit embarassing. A good friend invited me to go to a movie night/pajama party with a bunch of her friends. Now, I don't do big groups anyway - unless I'm the center of attention, they make me uncomfortable. The party was in Murray in a rather nice neighborhood (much nicer than my own, by the way, where the walls are falling apart piece by piece each day). It's the weirdest thing - in addition to the usual unease I feel in large group settings, I was hit with a severe case of status anxiety to the point where I completely shut down.
Luckily, it was a movie night, so I didn't really have to interact with anyone. Still, the whole night was a... disconcerting experience.
I got better.
2 - I'm pretty strapped for cash right now - first time this has happened in a LONG time. I've only got about $100, and with bills to pay, food to buy, and Christmas presents to... present... I'll be cutting it close this month. I DO have some savings, but I'm trying not to touch them. This is the first time I've had actual, genuine savings, after all, and I'd like not to blow it THIS quickly.
3 - You might recall that yesterday I posted a well-reasoned and impartial analysis of the movie Elf. Well, some parties took offense at my obviously superior line of reasoning and have decided to respond in a most aggressive way. Now, I could spend the time pointing out the gaps in this person's logic, or her complete failure to understand how to properly identify a Christ-figure in cinema, but I'm above that kind of thing.
Monday, December 13, 2010
The Trouble with Tinsel, or, Why I Hate Elf
I’ve only found a couple people, other than myself, that don’t like Elf. Everyone else seems to think it’s a new Christmas classic – and that doesn’t really sit well with me. I went into Elf hoping I would like it, but I came away feeling the movie is… well, the only word I can come up with is “soulless.”
Buddy the Elf spends the entire movie trying to spread Christmas cheer. Of course, since he’s played by Will Ferrell, he does it by being as obnoxious as possible. Which… you know, it’s actually fine. Will Ferrell’s just not my favorite actor, but I understand other people like him. I don’t get his appeal, but I’m pretty sure there are people out there who don’t grasp why I willingly spent money on the complete Powerpuff Girls cartoon series on DVD.
The problem I have, though, is with the show’s definition of “Christmas cheer.” Meaning, I have no clue why they think Christmas cheer is important.
Maybe “Christmas cheer” is just a euphemism for Buddy the Elf’s eternal optimism. I guess that makes a little bit of sense. Unfortunately, Buddy’s “optimism” alienates him from everyone else in the movie. He only makes friends in the mailroom because he gets them all drunk. He gets in a fight with the midget in the boardroom because he’s completely clueless. The other elves don’t like him. Even his father throws him out, and brings him back in to the family mostly out of guilt.
I believe a good Christmas story is one that shows how the season can positively change a life – not because it’s a magical time of year, but because it’s a time of year when people are encouraged to do good. More than that, though, the great Christmas classics work because they are HONEST.
Take a look at It’s a Wonderful Life. Here we have a realistic depiction of one man’s life, his trials and faults, and the great impact he can have on those around him. There’s no scenery-chewing, no cheap laughs or forced sentimentality. We cheer for Jimmie Stewart because he’s a good man, and, at Christmastime, he is rewarded for his decency.
How about A Charlie Brown Christmas? That movie’s all about honesty. Again, there’s no forced laughter (I dare say it’s one of the un-funniest things the Peanuts have done outside of shilling insurance). Still, even I get a little choked up when Charlie Brown, in frustration, screams out his frustration about not understanding Christmas, and Linus, very simply, replies by reciting the story of the angels announcing Christ’s birth from Luke 2. And do you remember what happens next? The children decide to stop harassing Charlie Brown and decorate his little Christmas tree. The reason for the holiday prompts, not just a hollow “belief,” but a real, concrete, kind action.
Even A Christmas Story, which doesn’t really carry any of those “heartwarming messages” about loving your fellow man or whatever, succeeds as a Christmas movie because it honestly portrays how the Christmas season brings a family together, after all their fights over furnaces and lamps and Red Rider BB Guns, around the table at a Chinese restaurant in a spirit of love. Unconventional, perhaps, but completely honest.
Okay, back to Elf. Remember that climactic moment when New Yorkers get together to sing the Christmas carols that fuel Santa’s magic sleigh. I get to that point of the movie, and I ask myself, “Is that what the movie calls ‘Christmas cheer’? Believe in Santa Claus and you’ll have a happy Christmas?”
No, that can’t be the moral. I’m twenty-six years old now, and I’ve long since learned – we’ll say about six years ago – that there’s no such thing.
Besides, Santa Claus has become a symbol of the commercial side of Christmas that most people have come to detest over the years. “Ho ho ho!” he says. “Buy Coca-Cola or I’m putting you on the naughty list!”
A week or two ago, I saw a friend post on Facebook that her daughter came home from school one day upset. Someone had told her that Santa Claus wasn’t real. My friend said she was planning on breaking that news to her daughter by having her daughter get presents for someone else – by being “Santa Claus.” I love that idea so much that I want to have a kid RIGHT NOW so I can do that with my children.
Anyone have any kids they aren’t using?
I’m not a huge fan of those Rankin-Bass shorts about Santa Claus, like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. Still, I understand they deserve their place in the canon of Christmas classics because they encourage people, not just to believe in the jolly old elf that does so much good, but to emulate him.
So, yeah… In my mind, Elf fails as a Christmas movie. I won’t fault you for liking the movie, if you want to. Maybe your idea of Christmas spirit actually is watching a man-child in green tights eat enough sugar to put the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man into a coma. Just know that, by my above reasoning, you’re completely wrong.
Of course, you can just dismiss my opinion because I’ve spent WAY too much time thinking about a movie that you’re just meant to sit back and laugh at… which, by the way, you’d probably be right to do.
Buddy the Elf spends the entire movie trying to spread Christmas cheer. Of course, since he’s played by Will Ferrell, he does it by being as obnoxious as possible. Which… you know, it’s actually fine. Will Ferrell’s just not my favorite actor, but I understand other people like him. I don’t get his appeal, but I’m pretty sure there are people out there who don’t grasp why I willingly spent money on the complete Powerpuff Girls cartoon series on DVD.
The problem I have, though, is with the show’s definition of “Christmas cheer.” Meaning, I have no clue why they think Christmas cheer is important.
Maybe “Christmas cheer” is just a euphemism for Buddy the Elf’s eternal optimism. I guess that makes a little bit of sense. Unfortunately, Buddy’s “optimism” alienates him from everyone else in the movie. He only makes friends in the mailroom because he gets them all drunk. He gets in a fight with the midget in the boardroom because he’s completely clueless. The other elves don’t like him. Even his father throws him out, and brings him back in to the family mostly out of guilt.
Above: COMEDY!!!
(You can make a case that he wins over Zooey Deschanel… except there’s nothing about that relationship that strikes me as even being remotely believable. I don’t even think Ms. Deschanel buys that contrived romance – she looks completely annoyed at Will Ferrell every time they’re on screen together.)I believe a good Christmas story is one that shows how the season can positively change a life – not because it’s a magical time of year, but because it’s a time of year when people are encouraged to do good. More than that, though, the great Christmas classics work because they are HONEST.
Take a look at It’s a Wonderful Life. Here we have a realistic depiction of one man’s life, his trials and faults, and the great impact he can have on those around him. There’s no scenery-chewing, no cheap laughs or forced sentimentality. We cheer for Jimmie Stewart because he’s a good man, and, at Christmastime, he is rewarded for his decency.
How about A Charlie Brown Christmas? That movie’s all about honesty. Again, there’s no forced laughter (I dare say it’s one of the un-funniest things the Peanuts have done outside of shilling insurance). Still, even I get a little choked up when Charlie Brown, in frustration, screams out his frustration about not understanding Christmas, and Linus, very simply, replies by reciting the story of the angels announcing Christ’s birth from Luke 2. And do you remember what happens next? The children decide to stop harassing Charlie Brown and decorate his little Christmas tree. The reason for the holiday prompts, not just a hollow “belief,” but a real, concrete, kind action.
Even A Christmas Story, which doesn’t really carry any of those “heartwarming messages” about loving your fellow man or whatever, succeeds as a Christmas movie because it honestly portrays how the Christmas season brings a family together, after all their fights over furnaces and lamps and Red Rider BB Guns, around the table at a Chinese restaurant in a spirit of love. Unconventional, perhaps, but completely honest.
Okay, back to Elf. Remember that climactic moment when New Yorkers get together to sing the Christmas carols that fuel Santa’s magic sleigh. I get to that point of the movie, and I ask myself, “Is that what the movie calls ‘Christmas cheer’? Believe in Santa Claus and you’ll have a happy Christmas?”
No, that can’t be the moral. I’m twenty-six years old now, and I’ve long since learned – we’ll say about six years ago – that there’s no such thing.
Besides, Santa Claus has become a symbol of the commercial side of Christmas that most people have come to detest over the years. “Ho ho ho!” he says. “Buy Coca-Cola or I’m putting you on the naughty list!”
Above: Sellout!!!
I think we’ve done the man a huge disservice. True, Santa Claus isn’t REAL in the sense that he’s up at the North Pole spying on everyone and overseeing the construction of countless X-Boxes and DVD gift sets, but he represents something fundamentally decent about humankind – the potential we have to put others above ourselves to the benefit of everyone involved.A week or two ago, I saw a friend post on Facebook that her daughter came home from school one day upset. Someone had told her that Santa Claus wasn’t real. My friend said she was planning on breaking that news to her daughter by having her daughter get presents for someone else – by being “Santa Claus.” I love that idea so much that I want to have a kid RIGHT NOW so I can do that with my children.
Anyone have any kids they aren’t using?
I’m not a huge fan of those Rankin-Bass shorts about Santa Claus, like Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town. Still, I understand they deserve their place in the canon of Christmas classics because they encourage people, not just to believe in the jolly old elf that does so much good, but to emulate him.
So, yeah… In my mind, Elf fails as a Christmas movie. I won’t fault you for liking the movie, if you want to. Maybe your idea of Christmas spirit actually is watching a man-child in green tights eat enough sugar to put the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man into a coma. Just know that, by my above reasoning, you’re completely wrong.
Of course, you can just dismiss my opinion because I’ve spent WAY too much time thinking about a movie that you’re just meant to sit back and laugh at… which, by the way, you’d probably be right to do.
Thursday, December 9, 2010
A Field Trip to the Derkins Library
About the same time that I started thinking about my favorite comic characters, Comics Alliance ran an article that led me to The Derkins Library - a website dedicated to collecting every scrap of writing or artwork Calvin and Hobbes creator Bill Watterson. Boy, is it fascinating.
I admire Bill Watterson quite a bit for his personal integrity and his dedication to the art of comics. He didn't see the comic strip as "low art," but rather he used his comics as a means of sincere, creative expression rarely seen in the medium (and almost never seen in newspapers anymore).
As much as I respect the man for stopping the Calvin and Hobbes strip when he did, I often wish we had more from Watterson, who to this day remains stubbornly reclusiv. Thankfully, The Derkins Library has a collection of some rare Watterson artwork, including some comics he drew before Calvin and Hobbes.
Easily, though, the most rewarding part of my trip to The Derkins Library was the transcript of a speech Bill Watterson gave called "The Cheapening of Comics" - a tirade against the space constraints that were being put on newspaper comics back in the 90s. Amazingly, a lot of what Watterson says still applies to comics at large - not just in the newspapers - and the way he encourages newspapers, syndicates, and comics artists to pursue new, creative means of making comics available to readers rings equally true in this day of the internet and digital distribution.
Here I've posted some of my favorite pieces from the rare art section, but the whole site is worth at least a browse.
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Love and Anger: A Melodrama in Five Acts
Our stage is set - a crowded room full of young men and women in their finest - tuxedos and little black dresses. Dim orange light radiates from hanging paper lanterns.
[Cue Music.]
The crowd starts to dance wildly, arms waving, feet pounding. The only thing louder than the song is the laughter.
A young man enters from downstage. He wears a three-piece brown suit - a nice look, but completely out of place. This is our protagonist.
[Cue Applause]
The song ends. The crowd parts. From across the room, our hero sees a beautiful young woman in an elegant red dress - she also looks out of place. Their eyes meet, and she smiles.
[Cue Awws]
Flashback.
The setting is the same, but the lights are brighter. The same young people that were dressed so nicely at the dance are now dressed in casual attire.
Enter our hero, holding hands with the girl.
[Cue Applause]
The two talk for a while. We can't hear what they are saying, but they are smiling and laughing. She reaches over and touches his arm.
The lights slowly dim, but our hero and the girl remain in spots. As the light tightens around them, the two embrace and kiss.
[Cue Awws]
We return to the dance. Our hero returns the girl's smile, but it is strained.
[Cue Music]
The girl reaches out her hand. Our hero, unsure at first, walks through the crowd and takes it.
The two dance. He spins her under his arm and steps around her. For only a second, a small distance separates them. He then reaches out and catches her hand and pulls her back in.
The crowd around them has stopped dancing. A circle forms around them as they dance.
She turns around and steps back into him, his arms wrapped around her. They separate again, clinging to each other just by their fingertips.
Our hero pulls the girl in to a dip, and the song ends. We see the two rise and separate.
Neither is smiling.
The dancers applaud.
Embarrassed, our hero steps to the front. The girl follows. The two stand facing each other at the front of the stage. Again, we can't hear what is being said.
Our hero reaches out his arms as he talks.
The girl shakes her head.
Our hero turns his back to the girl.
The girl walks up behind him and puts a hand on his shoulder.
Our hero walks away, and the girl stands alone at the front of the stage.
[Cue Ohhs]
She watches our hero leave, then turns and rejoins the dancers.
We find our hero sleeping fitfully. He wakes up. Realizing that everything that happened was just a dream, he dresses quickly and heads to work.
We see him now on his lunch break, writing an update on his blog about how much dreams suck and stuff like that.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
