Went out to see the X-Men Origins: Wolverine on Friday, and while nearly everyone in the group seemed to think it was a bad movie, I was able to enjoy it.  Did it take liberties with the interpretation of the characters?  Yes.  Did it focus more on the action than a story?  Yes.  Did it have shortcomings with its appearance and computer generated images? Yes.  Despite all of this, I don’t know that it was bad.  It wasn’t great, but I really don’t think it was bad.

Granted, I will fully admit that I’m happy to see any comic book property made into a film.  Add the fact that I’ve been reading X-Men since I was 10 years old, and it’s pretty clear that I cannot be fully objective in this.  Regardless, I think the movie is OK.  Also, Shoeverine!

When I reach that professional plateau where reading is indeed part of my job, it won’t be a distraction. For now, though, reading stuff outside of the courseload IS one of many distractions. The offending book in question?

Best American Non-Required Reading 2006

Never picked up anything with Dave Eggers‘ name attached before, but after scanning his intro at a used bookstore in Ocean City, NJ, I bought this and his introductory opus, A Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius. Still haven’t read the latter, but it sits on one of the bookshelves behind my stain-resistant couch.

Every lavatory trip, though, I’ve been reading BANR 2006, and among written pieces on things ranging from the Iraq War to a lesson in creative writing (by the late Kurt Vonnegut!), and excerpts from graphic novels by guys like Joe Sacco, I found what has become my favorite list of all time: The Best American Things To Know About Hoboes!

There is a bit of history involved (hoboes written out, thanks to FDR!!!), and the piece concludes in a few pages. The real gold is the list of 700 hobo names. Yep, 700. I can count on this list to make me laugh, every time I pick it up. You get classic-sounding names like: Boxcar Jones, the Boxcar Benjamin Disraeli and Tennessee Ernie Dietz, but the real joy is in names like Slo-mo Deuteronomy, Fr. Christian Irish the Deep-Fat Friar, Whitman Sampler and Dee Snider. I’d share a boxcar with all these tramps.

Just keep your distance from Battlin’ Joe Frickinfrack. Before you know it, you’ll be scrappin’ for pork and beans under a watertower, makin’ moonshine for the blind tiger with the flim-flam man and outrunnin’ the railroad bulls, while some copper stars are chasin’ the lot o’ ya.

Don’t say ya hain’t been warned.

Signed,

-Strictly Local Lydonwrites

Ok so I maybe didn’t buy it or read it. But I just have to ask: Why would anyone pay $4 for a comic written by Chris Claremont in 2009? Seriously Marvel… your comics are too expensive and Chris Claremont hasn’t been a good writer in a long long time. Sorry Pete.

This week Marvel delivers something I find even more exciting than the prospect of Spider-Man vs. Rutherford B. Hayes.  2009 is being hailed as Marvel’s “70th Anniversary” and with that comes a series of commemorative variant covers beginning with January 28th’s Captain America #46.  One of these will ship each month on a series of selected titles, and from from what I’ve seen so far they’re beautiful.  Much of my interest comes from the fond memories I have of the covers from Marvel’s 25th Anniversary celebration in 1964…excuse me 1986.

Wednesday night I was reminded of the powerful effect Angie has had on my life.  After arriving at the Comics and More, I discovered that there were no remaining copies of a book I was planning to purchase Read more of this article »