Phat With an “F”

First off I need to appologize. WordPress is all funked up this morning and so I can’t tell all the links in this blog to open in new windows. Make sure you right-click to open those suckas.

 

I love it when someone new discovers Atomic Robo.

 

You can listen to me and Brian sounding like complete idiots on this Atomic Robo exclusive interview with Comixology! I think after this one Brian and I decided never to do phone interviews again. While the edited version sounds pretty okay, the actual interview was painful –you strain so hard to hear what everyone is saying that when its your turn to talk your mind is totally blank and you ramble on like an idiot while your brain struggles to get one step ahead of your mouth. Seriously though, it was a nice interview.

Holy cow, four different reviews in one for Atomic Robo #4 over at Comics Bulletin. All very nice ones too. Yay!

I also got my first favorable review for my work on Punisher. (From someone who doesn’t know me personally anyway.) While I was basically happy with the job I did, the deadline was insane and forced me to strike a precarious balance between giving Marvel my best work and getting the job done on or ahead of schedule.

Kevin Powers, over at Silver Bullet Comic Books had this to say:

“Scott Wegener’s artwork is once again fantastic. The cartoon-like style fits this storyline perfectly and Wegener’s style is very distinct. He does a great job showing off his style as well as capturing some great action throughout the story. One of my favorite scenes involves possibly the most underrated and underused character in all of Marvel, Silver Sable. It was only a matter of time before G.W. Bridge recruited her for the new Six Pack and Fraction and Wegener deliver a great reintroduction to her character.”

It goes without saying that he loved Fractions excellent story. You should check out the entire review HERE.

Comics Playground reviewed Atomic Robo #1 in their podcast. Better late than never, right? For those with of limited patience, Atomic Robo starts at exactly the 18:00 mark.

It was a little weird to see my first Double Review of Robo and PWJ, almost side by side. They were brief but favorable.

 

Its not all praise and sunshine for Atomic Robo though. Over the past few months I have gotten several complaints that there is not enough Cheesecake in Atomic Robo. I’m not kidding. For those of you who are not up on your comic book dork-speak, “cheesecake” refers to the blatant use of T&A to sell comic books. Not that there aren’t dozens of other industries out there using clevage and taut buttocks to sell their products. But few if any of them are looking at a target audience that is primarily made up of children.

Actaully, that’s not fair. The average comic book reader is a young adolescent male who probably masturbates furiously at least twice a day. Or a 40yr old Fanboy with limited social skills who masturbates furiously at least twice a day. So a bit of T&A might be excusable.

The problem is that this sort of blatant sexist bullshit seems to stick to the entire industry instead of just those titles using it as a selling point. I’m not going to start a big “This is why girls don’t read comics,” rant. Though it is.

Frankly, we at Team Robo want to buck this trend. I’ve met quite a few women who like Atomic Robo and one of the things the like is how we’ve treated the two female Action Scientists that have been seen so far. We ignore the fact that they are women and just draw and write them like they are people. not that we are unaware of their gender. Its just that their identity as women of action comes first.

It is one of my sincere hopes for Atomic Robo that anyone can enjoy it, regardless of age or sex. We’re not specifically going for an “all-ages” book, but we figure that if you do something well it will have broad appeal.

However, not wanting to lose those cheesecake requesting jerk-offs I’ve prepared a little something. This will be the first and last time you see Cheesecake and Atomic Robo in the same place.

Its like he has two sets of headlights now . . .

 

 

And that’s it. While you will see characters from time to time who are sexy and perhaps sexual in Atomic Robo, you won’t see that again. There is a time and place for everything, and a right way and a very very wrong way to go about using sexuality in a comic book. Some characters, men and women, are designed to be sexy. If it makes sense to the story and its treated properly they can still be very empowering characters. But mostly it seems to be handled in a very ham-fisted manner.

Just looking at that JLA cover again, can anyone explain how Power Boo . . I mean Power Girl’s spine in bending like that?

Brian and I have been talking about a Nazi fem fatal for Robo Vol.2. Hopefully I will handle her in a way that meets the approval of the women who have lent their support to Atomic Robo. I’m sure you’ll let me know. ;P

 

 

 

Oh I forgot to mention it the last time I posted about Larry’s Comics and Double Midnight having Atomic Robo, but so does The Comic Store in Nashua. In my own defense, unlike the other shops I’ve mentioned in the past, The Comic Store hasn’t given any indication that they knew I was alive. But I happened to end up in Nashua the other day and briefly chatted with . . .crap. I always *think* his name is John, but its not. A very tall man. Anyway VTM commented that I had not mentioned their shop on the Bendis Boards, and I felt like a jerk. The Comic Store has changed a lot in the 12 years I’ve been in NH, and for the better. Its big its well lit, and its much less of a dusty museum than it was when I moved up here. If anyone can find a proper website for the store let me know and I’ll post it.

The whole reason I was in Nashua was to see my doctor. The last time I saw him was about 19 months ago. Maybe longer. Regardless, I was there because of acid-reflux. If anyone’s ever had this you know how much it sucks.

To make a long story short, I have reflux because I am fat, and I drink too much coffee. Well, one of those things I can change. Basically if I want to avoid major surgery I need to get rid of the flab. Easier said than done considering the life I lead.

Back before all this comic book fun got started I was eating a very healthy diet and going to the gym three or four times a week. I was running, I was hiking, etc.

As of today I haven’t left my house unless forces to, in almost two years. And frankly I LOVE that. I’m a hermit with an active inner-life. I’m happy. But I’m fat and happy, so some changes need to be made. (Fat people are always jolly, right? . . .no?)

So here’s the deal. The last time I saw my doctor back in 2005 or 2006 I was 195lbs, a lot of which was muscle. Frankly I was too skinny for my frame, and Doc said so. But I was in a bad spot with work and life and just wasn’t eating. (note: yes I know 195 sounds like a lot, but trust me –I is stocky. Ribs were poking out and my face was just gaunt. I just don’t have the bones to be an effeminate, make-up wearing, Anime man-girl hero. Sob .)

Just a few days ago, in 2008, I was 232lbs, most of which is lard. Now I’m too fat for my frame, and Doc said so. Life is otherwise good, and eating crap junk food is SO much more satisfying than apple wedges and carrot sticks. Pass the cheesie-poofs!

So this week the exercise begins, and next week its back on the Weight Watcher’s plan.

Part of the reason I am falling apart physically is the chaos of life over the past 2 years. Dorinda has been working on her Masters, working her shitty day job, and collectively we’ve been raising our child and managing her elderly father. Things have been a little busy, and without bias or (much) bitterness I tell you that I get stuck with the brunt of the “Soccer Mom” bullshit jobs, because my work day is a lot more flexible that Dorinda’s. Though working all day long every day with breaks only to go do stuff that you hate is not really good for your mental health.

But Dorinda graduated from her MFA program last night and it was wonderful. I am SO proud of her. She worked her ass off, and she worked harder than most, even though few if any of her classmates have the load of responsibilities that she does. Because it’s a small program each graduate goes up individually and gets to speak then reads. I was paying close attention to the crowd and while everyone got a good reception Dorinda was the best received of the group. She read really well, and though she was so nervous that even her index cards had hives, she was great.

This was last night. This morning she came home exhausted, loaded down with her Poetry Camp luggage, and very hung over. Yet she looked like a totally different woman.

Speaking as someone who just walked away from his old life to do something that I’m really passionate about, I am so proud, and so happy for her.

I’ll be less happy when the first loan payment is due, but that’s life. Then again, by that time I’ll be living on celery sticks and water, so we’ll have tons of extra money laying around for that.

Random Splendor

The Sesame Street “Pinball Number Count” song. Classic.

You Suck @ Photoshop #1

You Suck @ Photoshop #2

 

Over-Smoked is the worstest . . .

 

Doctor Who could fix this.

 

It took me a while to figure out that this was a legitimate old advertisement and not some new push from the Administration to invade another fanatic infested country.

 

The wholesome looking ones are always the dirtiest. . .and I mean that in a good way.