Good Intentions

I went out to the comic book store today and bought Harrow County issue 15, Batmanissue 5, and the book John Constantine, Hellblazer: Good Intentions by Brian Azzarello, Richard Corben, Marcelo Frusin and Steve Dillon. I went along to KFC and had a Zinger Tower Burger meal, and walked around in the, very rare, warm sunlight.

Podcasts and Comics

It was another pretty busy day at work, because there really weren't many people in the office. I listened to The Magnus Archives which is a horror podcast, this week dealing with a haunted abattoir, Fresh Air which was doing a story about the Patty Hearst kidnapping case from the 1970s and Bizarre States.

I went up to the comic-book store and got Batman issue 4, Deadpool issue 16, Wonder Woman issue 1, Superman issue 4, Silk issue 11, Green Lanterns issue 4, Suicide Squad: Rebirth issue 1 and Daredevil annual 1.

Ghostbusters

Last night I finished reading the graphic novel Dark Night: A True Batman Story by Paul Dini, with art by Eduardo Risso. It's an autobiographical book about writer Dini, who was a very successful writer for animated TV shows. In January 1993, Dini was brutally attacked by a couple of muggers and savagely beaten. As Dini recuperates and tries to find his way back to the world, he imagines conversations between himself and Batman, the Joker, two face and other characters. it's a powerful book about healing, about the power of creating and the value of fictional creations. 

I managed to leave work early and I went up to the local comic book store and bought Batman issue 3, Green Lanterns issue 3, Tales from the Darkside issue 2, Superman issue 3, Detective Comics issue 936, Civil War II issue 3, Hellblazer: Rebirth issue 1 and Black Panther issue 1.

I went along to the movies and saw the new Ghostbusters which I really enjoyed. I was a big fan of the original, and pretty much grew up with it (it was one of those standard movies that we had on video when I was a kid and put on pretty much every holiday), but I did think that this one was funnier.

Dark Night

Last night I read a couple of short stories by Ray Bradbury: "There Was an Old Woman" was about an elderly woman who is tricked into dying and heads off to the mortuary to get her body back so she can come back to life, it was pretty funny, and "There Will Come Soft Rains" about a fully automated house, that still keeps running even after the family that lived in it have been obliterated in a nuclear war.

It was another long day at work. I listened to an interesting episode of the Short Cuts podcast, hosted by comedian Josie Long, about rivalries about the time Canada almost went to war with Denmark and a genuinely hilarious letter of complaint to a laundromat. I also heard a really good Nerdist podcast interview with comics and animation TV writer Paul Dini. 

This evening I downloaded onto my Kindle, the graphic novel Dark Night: A True Batman Story written by Paul Dini with art by Eduardo Rosso, an autobiographical comic about a time when he was mugged and savagely beaten to within an inch of his life and as he recuperates imagines conversations between Batman and the Joker (Dini wrote for Batman: The Animated Series for which he created the character Harley Quinn, Tiny Toon Adventures, Animaniacs and many others, as well as writing the scripts for the Batman: Arkham series of video games).

I was really tired when I got in this evening and made half of a comic (I'll finish it tomorrow).

Dental Institute

Last night I went out with my parents to Pizza Express. To start with I had garlic bread with mozarella cheese, and then I had a Four Seasons pizza (a pizza with a different topping on each quarter: mushrooms, pepperoni, plain cheese and tomato, and anchovies and capers), and for dessert I had a Chocolate Glory gelato (basically ice-cream covered with chocolate sauce and squares of chocolate fudge cake). It was really nice.

Back home I watched an episode of How TV Ruined Your Life which this week dealt with "Knowledge" and discussed how TV dealt with news and factual programming, from the early days of the TV news (when it was just still images, occasional diagrams and voice-over narration, because the powers that be felt like film footage and announcers would trivialise current events) and very soberly presented academic documentaries to the current docu-soaps and celebrity presenters and flashy rolling news, that try to make it really exciting and dynamic. It also managed to take in the moralising on 80s kid's cartoon shows like He-Man and Thundercats, and a bizarre "mocumentary" from 1992 called GhostWatch which was basically a fictional horror drama for Halloween about a haunted house, but was presented as a non-fiction documentary hosted by well-known presenters. People at the time didn't realise it was make-believe and were genuinely terrified and angry about the show. Seen today it's pretty much a forerunner of The Blair Witch Project and Paranormal Activity. The episode itself managed to be genuinely informative and also extremely funny.

Later on I watched a documentary called The Return of A Clockwork Orange, which was made in 2000 to commemorate the re-release of A Clockwork Orange in Britain. Stanley Kubrick, who directed A Clockwork Orange, withdrew the film from Britain and it was not available to view legally in Britain until after Kubrick's death in 1999. The movie was incredibly controversial in Britain when it was first released due to the violence. For three decades it was the most high-profile banned movie in Britain and was trotted out in endless magazine and newspaper articles, documentaries and so on about violent movies. It's now readily available in Britain though and is frequently shown in TV there. I remember a few months after Kubrick's death I arranged a tribute evening in the Student Union at college and me and another guy promoted and showed The Shining, Full Metal Jacket and A Clockwork Orange. By the time the last movie came on it was literally standing room only. The place was packed out. That was a great night.

Today I went up to the Dental Institute. The bus broke down on the way, so I had to run up to the Institute and then I got lost in the building, but I maanged to get there in the nick of time. In the end they were running late anyway so it didn't really matter. I had my right wisdom tooth taken out in November 2009 and this was basically a review appointment to see how it had been in the meantime and whether I needed my other tooth taken out. In the end the extraction had completely healed up and the other wisdom tooth, while coming in at an angle wasn't causing any trouble to the tooth in front. For now at least I don't need it taken out. The dentist who was dealing with me was this really cute Spanish woman which helped.

I went along to the comic-book store afterwards and got: Lil Depressed Boy issues 1 and 2, Batman Incorporated issue 3, Batman and Robin issue 20, Fables are Forever issue 2, Spawn issue 204, X23 issue 7, Spider-Man issue 155, iZombie issue 11 and Venom issue 1.

Rio Bravo

Last night I was watching the 1959 movie Rio Bravo, directed by Howard Hawks, on TV. The movie is set in a small Texan border town during the Old West and involved a murderer who is locked up in the town jail by the local sheriff (played by John Wayne), who has to keep the killer locked up and out of trouble for at least a week until a US Marshall can show up and take him, away. Meanwhile the killer's wealthy brother has employed a large gang of ruthless hired killers to bust him out of jail, while all the sheriff has to help him is the town drunk (played by Dean Martin), a garrolous trigger-happy old jailer (Walter Brennan) and a young gunslinger (Ricky Nelson). It's a really good Western, which was very influential on future action movies. It's got some good, witty dialogue and some great action scenes. Also, if you're a fan, Dean Martin and Ricky Nelson sing a couple of songs. It's reviewed over at Permanently Weird.

Watching it I really thought about my Gran, who died about four years ago, and I don't know if she ever saw it, although I assume she did because she loved movies and watched a lot of them, but this would probably have been one of her favourite movies, due to it being a Western and having John Wayne and Dean Martin in it. I remember watching a lot of the old Westerns when I was down at her place or when she came up here.

Today I had another day off work and went up to the comic book store, where I did get a lot of stuff: Batman: Conspiracy (which was basically a one-off compendium of a three part story from the '90s in which Batman investigates a series of bizarre ritual murders which leads him into a sinister and pervasive conspiracy), Detective Comics Classics (which had three bizarre Batman stories from the '60s and '70s, including one in which Robin and Batgirl had to fight the ghost of Benedict Arnold who had teamed up with the Devil), X23 issues 4 to 6 (which I've never read before and I kind of got on impulse), American Vampire issue 12, Dracula: The Company of Monsters issue 7, X-Men: Legacy issue 245 (which seems to be starting a big new storyline), Scalped issue 46, Detective Comics issue 874, Spawn issue 203, Ultimate Spider-Man issue 154, Morning Glories issue 7 (which I got because I'd heard a lot of really good stuff about it on the internet) and The New York Five issue 2 (which has had an interesting story so far and is by the author and artist responsible for one of my favourite graphic novels, Local). I also got a graphic novel called John Constantine, Hellblazer: The Fear Machine written by Jamie Delano, with art by Mark Buckingham, Richard Piers Rayner, Mike Hoffman and Alfredo Alcala. On my way home I stopped off and had a quick drink. I just figured that I'm having a few days off, it's like a short holiday so I might as well treat myself by splurging money on comics! Besides I'm very happy with what I got. When I got back home I had some microwaved chicken chow mein for my dinner which was really nice.

Tomorrow I'm off work as well and I think I might go along to the movies.

Comics and Bills

Last night was pretty quiet. I was watching repeats of comedy shows on TV and doing a bit of reading.

I was up at half past five in the morning today and got into work at five to seven. It was a pretty quiet day although there weren't many people in and most people seemed slightly hyper due to the fact that it was Friday. We had some blueberry muffins brought in which were really nice and there was a baguette run. I had a panini with roast beef, English mustard, brie, savoury cheese, jalapeno peppers and onions. It was a really nice sandwich.

I left work at one today and went up to the comic-book store, where I got a pretty big haul this week: Hellblazer issue 276, Night of the Living Dead issue 3, Memoir issue 2, Fables issue 102, Daredevil Reborn issue 2, Superman and Batman issue 81, Wolverine issue 5.1, Wolverine issue 1000, X-Men: Legacy issue 244, The Suicide Forest issue 3, Let Me In: Crossroads issue 3, DMZ issue 62 and Batman issue 707. So, yeah, it looks like a good set.

There was an electricity bill waiting for me when I got home, which was slightly more than I had been expecting, but not by too much. Bills always seem to come at the wrong time, but then there isn't really a right time for bills.

This evening I'm off to see Carrie at the movies with the Horror Group, so that should be fun. This is only the second time I've been out with them, but so far it has been really good.

I've been thinking about my holdiay for this year. I had been thinking of taking few days in Amsterdam next month, but I haven't got round to booking it, and I'm not sure if I'm really all that hot to go. I've been to Amsterdam before and really liked it, but I feel like waiting and maybe doing something like I did last year when I was travelling around the US and Canada, but going to different places. Anyway, if everything works out I shoud be doing a lot of travelling this year.

Early to Work

Last night I spent most of the time reading. This morning I was up at five in the morning and got into work around seven. There was a baguette run at work and I got a panini with cajun chicken, savoury cheese, onions, chilli sauce and jalapeno peppers. I was only working for six hours today so I left at about one and went up to the comic book store. I bought Batman and Robin issue 19, Dracula: Company of Monsters issue 5, Freedom Fighters issue 5, iZombie issue 9, Let Me In: Crossroads issue 2, The Walking Dead issue 81 and House of Mystery issue 33, along with the graphic novels John Constantine, Hellblazer: Original Sins by Jamie Delano, John Ridgway and Alfredo Alcala and John Constantine, Hellblazer: Dangerous Habits by Garth Ennis and William Simpson (incidentally the Dangerous Habits storyline was one of the main basis for the Hellblazer movie version, Constantine). I went out for a few drinks afterwards.

Birthday and Christmas 2010

On Thursday it was my 32nd birthday. I went along to my parent's house and in the evening we had a Chinese meal. For my birthday I got the graphic novel Batman: Year One by Frank Miller and David Mazzucchelli, the graphic novel Local by Brian Wood and Ryan Kelly, the novel Pattern Recognition by William Gibson, the DVDs of Inception and Alfred Hitchcock Presents season two.

I stayed with my parents over the Christmas period. On Christmas Eve we didn't really do much at all. We did the traditional Christmas thing of watching Carols From Kings which is like an annual carol service from King's College Cambridge, which my Mum loves. We watch it every year. Later on I was watching the Peep Show night. A whole evening of programming devoted to the show.

On Christmas Day the heating stopped working, which was difficult because the temperature was below freezing. We had to get small heaters out to keep the place fairly warm. I got a graphic novel called The Comical Tragedy or Tragical Comedy of Mr. Punch by Neil Gaiman and Dave McKean, a book called Live & Work in Canada by Frances Lemon, a DVD of An Idiot Abroad, the game Gods of War III for the PlayStation 3, a 2011 paper diary, an issue of SFX magazine and some chocolate and candy. My parents seemed to be happy with their presents. Their neighbours came through in the late morning and had a drink. They were there for about an hour. We had the traditional Christmas dinner of turkey, rolled up bacon, cocktail sausages, peas with onions, brussels srpouts, roast poatoes and stuffing. It was really good. Later on we watched the Christmas Doctor Who special.

I went back home today after lunch.

I really hope that everyone had a great Christmas!

Shopping for Death

Last night I was playing Batman: Arkham Asylum on the PlayStation 3. Basically, the storyline of the game is that Batman is delivering the Joker to the Arkham Asylum for the Criminally Insane in Gotham City. However when Batman delivers the Joker it turns out that it is a trap set by the Joker, as all the inmates are set free and take over the Asylum, taking guards and medical staff hostage, with the Joker as the self-appointed boss of the Asylum. Basically, you play Batman and you have to explore the Asylum, rescue hostages, fight the villains (including most of the familiar Batman adversaries), solve puzzles and eventually defeat the Joker. It's a really involving game and a lot of fun.

I also watched an episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents on DVD. It was a story called "Shopping for Death" written by Ray Bradbury and concerned two elderly insurance salesmen who are trying to save an extremely obnoxious woman before she annoys someone enough thet they kill her. It was one of the more unusual episodes.

It was another quiet day at work today. I managed to listen to all three hours of the radio adaptation of The Spy Who Came in From the Cold which I've got on my iPod. I do like it when it's really quiet and empty at work, because I'm perfectly happy just to sit and listen to my iPod and just get on with it, basically.

Halloween III: Season of the Witch

Last night I was playing some of Batman: Arkham Asylum on the PlayStation 3. It's a really fun game. The background is that Batman has captured The Joker and has brought him to Arkham Asylum, but it turns out that it's all a trap and that Arkham Asylum has been taken over by The Joker and his henchmen, and the staff, including Comissioner Gordon, have been taken hostage. Basically you play Batman and you have to explore the corridors of Arkham, fighting with The Joker's henchmen and all the other familiar Batman enemies, including The Riddler who has left a number of puzzles scattered around that you have to solve. It's a very involving game, and a lot of fun.

Later on I was watching the 1982 movie Halloween III: Season of the Witch, directed by Tommy Lee Wallace. It's a very unusual sequel because, unlike every other movie in the Halloween franchise, this one does not focus on the indestructible psychopath Michael Myers. Instead it concerns the insane owner of a toy company called Silver Shamrock, who maufactures a range of popular children's Halloween masks which are advertised endlessly with an irritating countdown jingle ("Three more days to Halloween... Halloween... Halloween... Three more days to Halloween... Silver Shamrock"). However, it turns out that the masks are lethal booby traps which are due to be activated by a special signal transmitted on Halloween night. Apparently, the producers John Carpenter and Debra Hill, wanted to turn the Halloween franchise into a kind of anthology film series with a new seperate horror film released every year focussing on a different aspect of the Halloween season. However the idea was abandoned due to the total commercial failure of this movie. The original script was written by acclaimed writer Nigel Kneale, who created the Quatermass TV series, but he had his name taken off the film when his script was changed in order to make it more gruesome and violent.

I started writing my NaNoWriMo story yesterday. I got 2,026 words done yesterday. The target is to write a 50,000 word novel by the end of November.

Today was yet another dull and quiet day in the office.