Thursday, December 8, 2016

SO LONG AGO

Thirty-six years ago today.  And the loss still echoes on.

28 comments:

  1. An anniversary I wish didn't exist ...

    John remains a major influence in my life, not only for his obvious gifts, but also for his human flaws ... more precisely, his willingness to face up to them & grapple with them. He always kept striving to grow as a human being, making plenty of missteps & stumbles along the way -- as do we all -- but continuing onward anyway.

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  2. I totally agree, Tim (but I think you knew that): I admire Lennon not despite his flaws, but because of them—and the way he so honestly, and publicly, faced them; and used them as fuel for both his idealism and his art.

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  3. You know, yesterday was the 75th anniversary of Pearl Harbor, which LITERALLY changed the world. Everything we are today, as a country, as a world comes from that one day that lied in infamy. It was the event that had the greatest loss of life ever. The world was reformed, and America's role in the world forever changed. Culturally, socially, politically, it all changed on December 7th 1945.

    But, I guess the two events are more or less the same. Since WWII is such a common focus of alternate history, why not think about what would happen if Lennon had lived.

    -Well, first, he would not have liked the 80s. Probably would have had several albums that were highly critical society and the government. They probably would not sell well as his primary audience grows older and more conservative. He would be told to grow up and called too preachy.

    -Probably would try to get in with the Alternative crowd, but would have trouble meshing with much of the nature. Ultimately viewed as just trying to get in with the kids.

    -attempted revitalization of careers through new style. Sells worse of all.

    -Does kids album for his kids. Moderate success as baby boomers enjoy having something for his kids.

    -After years of requests by McCartney, he finely collaborates on a song for an album.

    -career revitalized, he does an MTV unplugged album.

    -begins to criticize modern music forms for not representing the "purity" of the 60s

    -Beatles finally do a reunion tour in the mid-90s

    -Beatles do a reunion album. It is an unbridled success monetarily, but controversial among critics. Some say too similar to the old ways, say not as good as the old, some love it, some accuse others of being too easy on them. Whatever, typical critical analysis bullshit.

    -Stress of the album breaks them up again, but they agree to have a backdoor to return.

    -Alienates many people with critical views of the US in post 9/11 world.

    - Campaigns for Barack Obama, and becomes a frequent talking head to defend or support actions of the President. Conservative talking heads criticize comments made about tea party.

    -And of course, by 2011 lobsters become the overlords of the Earth and human there unwitting slaves.
    long way to go for an incredibly dumb joke, huh?

    Jack

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    1. Well, Lennon said "Rock Lobster" by the B-52s was one of the songs that inspired him to go back into the studio, so perhaps he was in league with the lobster overlords!

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    2. IN league? He's a pawn. Hey say a guy who sang songs and wanted to believe he was more than that and they had their stooge.

      The real question is, and I will differ to you since you are the expert, would Lennon have been on the Simpsons? He is the only Beatle who wasn't. Real answer Demattis.

      Jack

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    3. Absolutely! Before he picked up a guitar, he was a cartoonist—and kept drawing cartoons all his life. I think he would have LOVED a chance to actually BE a cartoon character.

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    4. For the archives.

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xChORIKcAcg

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vP5tM6t0IAM

      https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=05AUu8lQZSI

      Harrison is the best.

      JAck

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    5. I remember these—although it's been years since I've seen the George and Ringo clips.

      The George episode ends with Homer and his pals singing on the roof ala the end of the LET IT BE movie?. George looks up and says, "It's been done."

      I was a regular Simpsons watcher for the first five or six years and then lost track of them, although I'll still stumble across an occasional episode. Amazing that it's lasted so long. But cartoon characters and comic book characters do have extraordinary lifespans!

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    6. I'm sure this is the part where you send assassins after me, but I am a bigger Simpsons fan than a Beatles fan. As far as I'm concerned those episodes were some of the best things they've done.

      Jack

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    7. No assassins, Jack. Although I WILL be sending a deprogrammer to kidnap you and turn you into a frothing Beatlemaniac.

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    8. What can I say I was raised in a mixed family (Dad-Rolling Stones, Mom-Beatles). I was even named after a Rolling Stone, and that is why you shouldn't let baby boomers have kids.

      But they better be some pretty damn good programmers to get the Beatles above the first 22 seasons and movie of the Simpsons.

      Odd that you would want to since it was Homer Simpson who yelled at Tony Blair and the Queen of England, "Our Beatles are way better than your precious Rolling Stones."

      Just to be honest, I'm also a bigger Lee-Kirby-Ditko-Romita-Colan-Buscema-Wood-Everett-Heck-Lee fan than the Beatles too. That's right Silver Age Marvel is better than the Beatles. I said it.

      Jack

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    9. You shouldn't let baby boomers have kids? My son, John Paul George Ringo DeMatteis, begs to differ! : )

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    10. What about your daughter Janice Moonbeam stone-pony Aretha Steinem Dematteis?


      Jack

      PS to be fair to my boomer parents, I was the 3rd and last kid. Both my brothers share their names with our grandfathers.

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    11. That was supposed to be Janis, as in Janis Joplin. Sorry.


      Jack

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  4. Was so excited to read that R.L. Stine was doing a Man-Thing comic for Marvel. Then he revealed that his version of Man-Thing can talk and is sarcastic.
    'sigh'
    I am so depressed.
    Can't you just make Marvel let you write Man-Thing stories?
    Yeah, yeah, I know.
    'sigh'

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    1. It's hard to judge how a story will play out based on a few comments. Guess we'll have to wait and see how it plays out.

      Don't know if I'd want to write Man-Thing again, but I'd love to go back in time and finish off that run I started with Liam Sharp. We had big plans!

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    2. They'll also probably make the book quirky and self-aware. That's just what Marvel does with B-listers Silver Surfer is Quirky, Dr. Strange is sarcastic and quirky. Foolkiller is even quirky. Its the way of comics right now (well actually quite a bit of media has this), quirky is the new grim and gritty.

      There are a lot of contributing factors, as an attempt to defuse criticism because by saying they aren't in on the joke, a bitter cynicism of Gens X and Y, keeping up with the more lighthearted movies, the crossover appeal of Deadpool.

      IN all honesty it is getting on my nerves and has caused me to but only my addict characters (and one of them is dancing towards not-even-worth-fighting-off-the-Comic-buyer's-OCD-territory), but that doesn't mean that this will be bad.

      Am I skeptical? Yes, of course. I am a skeptical person. However, Man-Thing, while great as a drama, there is a lot of room for parody there. Admittedly, I think a good portion of it can come from him not talking... never the less that means nothing.

      Luke Cage speaks in Yiddish, that's weird.

      Only time can tell. Keep up hope, and don't buy what you don't like, every failure brings them closer to a wining idea.

      I mean, end of the day, doesn't the premise of the JLI sound like a giant flop? or Spider-MAn, (a hero with problems? Are you sure that isn't an indie book), or even Man-thing as a concept.

      Jack

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    3. about being sick of the quirkiness? Cause IO am. I tend to ramble Dematteis, so while I appreciate the sentiment, I'm afraid I would need specifics.

      Sorry.

      Still, only one issue in and already Spider-Man Renew Your Vows is great. Who says all we comic fans do is complain?


      Jack

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    4. Sorry, should have been more specific. I was agreeing with the fact that JLU or Spider-Man (or anything for that matter) can sound like a flop if you just lay out the premise. It's the execution that matters.

      I don't read enough contemporary comics to have an opinion on the Quirkiness Factor you mention.

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    5. No need to apologize I should probably ramble less, but I also probably shouldn't smoke. I'm aware of the toll things take.

      A few years ago I was at a comic show and an indie writer told me how he wanted to make a Rom Spaceknight movie where he just did his laundry.

      Now, it was a joke. But I did realize that makes sense for a Spider-man story. It was not a long trip to the real revaluation.

      The fact is that for most people the idea of what a superhero is has no changed much from 1961. And every Marvel silver age character (except maybe Thor) sounds like an indie character, or an indie movie maybe.
      -The FF a superhero family with no secret identities and fights all the time.
      -Hulk, a man who saves the world by turning into a monster
      -Spider-Man a hero with everyday problems
      -Iron Man- a self absorbed and damaged man saving the world
      -Captain America - A hero from the golden age, having trouble meshing with modern society, and showing the guilt and pain of being so perfect a hero
      -Dr. Strange - A weirdo sorcerer who everyone thinks i nuts as he transverses the dimensions
      -Silver Surfer - The purest creature alive hatred and hunted for it.
      -X-men - heroes hated for being superheroes.
      -Daredevil - a blind superhero.

      Do any of these not sound like some super-indie take on superheroes (possibly from people who never read them)?

      Stan Lee was a genius at getting people. HE was a streets Genius.

      Jack

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    6. The laundry idea is also a perfect JLI story. In fact, Beetle and Booster doing their laundry is probably good for a two-parter. Then, they encounter a villain doing his laundry and we get part three!

      People that weren't around when Marvel was first exploding don't realize just HOW DIFFERENT those books were from everything that came before. They were the indie books of their day.

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    7. To be fair, with Dymnamite and Dark Horse dependent on licensed projects, and Image making most of its sales based on projects created by people who made a name at the bit two, indie is a sort of complicated idea these days.

      And that si a ridiculous idea for a JLI story. Obviously one of Booster's socks would only half disappear, and as he tried to pull it out he and Beetle are dragged onto an alien world planning an invasion. All laundromat owners have been controlled for years as pawns. They obviously they assume Boost is their God, who in turn says Ted is a slave he had rehabilitated. Of course, Booster accidentally leads the charge top Earth as Ted lives a demeaning life. Eventually Fire and Ice... well that's obvious. So is Guy being taken out by two punches, at which point Bats tells J'onn it only took him one.

      Have you really become so out of touch with these characters.

      Finally, new Scoobs Apocs on Wednesday. That sucker just keeps right on pluggin', but Shaggy still looks like Green Arrow.

      Do me a favor and call it Scoobs Apocs around the internet and more importantly real life, I'm trying to get it to catch on.

      Jack

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    8. SCOOBS APOCS? Maybe not. How about OOBYPOC, which, now that I write it out, would work better as a name for an early 60's Marvel Comics alien invader, drawn by Kirby or Ditko. "Kneel before Oobypoc!"

      That concludes this morning's silliness.

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    9. I read said new Scoobs Apocs,and I have to ask, seriously, am I the only one who sees that Shaggy with his psuedo-hippie talk, dressing in green, and oh yeah his face, seems incredibly like Green Arrow?

      If only we could get a JLI, Scoobs Apocs team-up. Too bad.

      Best part of the comic:
      Daphne: We have to be very quiet.
      Shaggy: Why"? Are we hunting wabbits?

      Good read? yes. Lots of words, characterization, what more could someone want?

      Finally, I can't believe it took me this many issues to realize, but were the nanites changing people to monsters a reference to all the monsters being people in disguise from the original show? You know, monsters are really just people.

      Jack

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    10. That wasn't our intention, Jack, but it works, doesn't it? So I'll just say we were unconscious geniuses.

      Very glad you're enjoying the book. And, yes, I'm fond of the Elmer Fudd joke, too!

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    11. I am, but I still need to locate a copy of issue #1. It sort of reminds me of Carnage.

      The current Carnage series (which has its last issue next month) was a comic where I liked the creative team (its Conway), but the idea didn't grab me. Then after hearing praise from folks around the shop, I checked it out and then scrambled to get the issues I missed.

      I'm sure that when I complain about the quirk in comics, some people think I want every comic to be dark and dower. Not the case, I just want there to be a story and characters as the basis for it. Basing a comedy around a single joke, or a story JUST around quirkiness, is doomed to bore.

      Point is, you have a good comic. Deal with it.

      Jack

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    12. I'll do my very best to deal with it, Jack. It's a burden, but I'll try.

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