Saturday, April 30, 2011

Big Bang 4, and comics today

This is the cover of the upcoming collection of the fourth season of Big Bang Theory. I like it. Especially Sheldon's pose, he really does look like some powerful time-traveling detective/ambassador or whatnot.
Does anybody know if it's a homage to a specific Sci-fi show or just generic?



Sheldon says Raj has difficulties "parsing American comics idioms like "BAMF" and "SNIKT".
I'm very proud (or maybe not) to say that even though it's been years, I still know exactly what those mean: "bamf" is the sound of Nightcrawler teleporting, and "snikt" is the sound of Wolverine's claws extending. Ah, the good old days when you could follow the story of a Marvel comic without having to buy thirty titles to make sense of it. And that's only the X-Men titles! 

I used to read lotsa comics all the time, but the past few years, hardly any. Right now I'm trying the Power Girl mini-series, it's not bad, pretty humorous. Can anybody recommend any series, preferably available digitally? Like I hinted, I prefer something where I don't have to read several titles for months to get an idea of what's going on. I guess that pretty much means mini-series, unless ongoing comics have changed a lot in the past couple years. 
Ooh, I am open to off-beat, independent comics too, unless they are they are the kind which are autobiographical despite the author's life consisting basically of masturbating and arguing with his parents. I never took to American Splendor, but I liked a lot of Love And Rockets. 

43 comments:

Jan said...

Here Sheldon makes me think of a young Sean Connery on a 007 movie poster

Jan said...

Example: http://hmssweblog.files.wordpress.com/2008/10/yolt_door_panels.jpg

Ganesha Games said...

I recommend the Dynamo 5 series (available on IPad through Image comics), a fresh retelling of familiar themes; also Godland (if you like Kirbiesque artwork) is quite fresh. For humor, I also liked Scott Pilgrim (available with his own app on the app store).

Jeff R. said...

As suggested above, Sheldon is certainly Connery-as-Bond.

The chap to his right is John Travolta from Saturday Night Fever:
http://post.oftheday.com.au/images/john-travolta-saturday-night-fever.jpeg

The girl (her name escapes me) is Jane Fonda from Barbarella:
http://christiankocinski.files.wordpress.com/2010/10/barbarella_movie_image_jane_fonda.jpg?w=300&h=237
(Loved her in the Orgasmatron scene...)

Can't place the other two.

(I hope the URLs above assemble OK)

Anonymous said...

Well, my guess is that the guy with the eyeglasses might be Superman/Clark Kent...

Anonymous said...

Daytripper drawn by 2 brazillian twins Fabio Moon and Gabriel Ba is one of the most beautiful comics ever. The art and writing are astonishing. This comic is the story of the life and deaths of one man in modern day Sao Paolo. I won't say any more about it. I don't want to spoil it for you! It is a standalone book and well worth reading.

Jes said...

Lol, ya know, for pretty much my entire life I've been a fan of X-Men toys, X-Men cartoons, X-Men video games, etc etc. But for years and years, I didn't actually read the comics. Cause there's just SO MUCH there, it's like where does a person begin?

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Hmmm, actually if you're asking, I suggest you start with Uncanny X-Men, the Clairemont/Byrne years, that's when they got big as well as good. Surely there must be a paperback.

And I read them with pleasure for many years after Byrne left, Clairemont kept it so alive and there were several really good artists.

I am actually getting all nostalgic... there was a feeling of *event* when a new Uncanny X-Men came out. And they were also selling like hotcakes. One time I was buying my comics in the US, the proprietor commented to a colleague: "I can't *believe* how many X-Men we are selling."

Ganesha Games said...

Maybe OT but it's about BBT .. I am buying one of these folder things...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3kZUWkB7eZE

Ganesha Games said...

BTW name of girl in BBT is Penny. I think the actress is in the new animated movie Hop. At least it looked like her in the trailer.

Jes said...

Actually, I eventually got the Uncanny X-Men Omnibus. It's pretty cool, it collects the first five years of X-Men from that era. It ain't cheap, but I freaking love it.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Yes, perfect. Not cheap, but that's a lot of issues!

Other good re-inventions from the time were Miller's Daredevil. And... Teen Titans were very good when Perez drew it.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

(Thanks for the tips, guys.)

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Dynamo 5 looks promising.
Godland is really extremely Kirby-esque, isn't it!? :-)
Ooh, remember Alan Moore's 1963 series? Cool work. He can make anything work, most of his commercial work for Image was wonderful, Tom Strong, Top Ten...

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

It seems that Daytripper is not available digitally.

Anonymous said...

You're going to be disappointed in any of the modern stuff. Comics were a lot more fun before they took themselves so seriously. Part of the problem is that the "talent" they attract are all failures - artists who couldn't make it as artists, and writers who can't write novels. This wasn't a problem in the days when comic books were for kids. Now they're bought by middle aged losers.

Alex Greene said...

2000AD.

And the Captcha word is "corne." XD

Anonymous said...

Reply to the original anonymous:

You are wrong about comics being for middle aged losers. There are a lot of beautiful comics around. Check out Daytripper, Scalped or the Unwritten

Anonymous said...

A comic book can't compete with the novel when it comes to the ability to convey a character's thoughts and feelings, or the ability to paint a vivid mental picture of a scene. Even the most mind-blowing drawings pale compared to that. A comic like Daytripper is for adults who are strangely ashamed of still liking comics, and so they're trying to tart them up into something they're not. Graphic Novels...pffft. Riiiight.

Hans Olo said...

Sheldon says Raj has difficulties "parsing American comics idioms like "BAMF" and "SNIKT"."

Isn't India's official language English? I bet Raj grew up speaking it, and also American comics are available in India.

TC [Girl] said...

All of a sudden, I am "strangely attracted" to comics. In this case, I think it's 'Thor's fault! lol! :-P

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Yeah, he is strangely attractive.

TC [Girl] said...

LOL! I'd like to go for a swim in those eyes! YUM! :-P

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

... Dang, Natalie is in it! Better watch that.

TC [Girl] said...

I know! I was just about to send it to you, when I remembered this posting; so I stopped and did that, first! :0)

Anonymous said...

Actually, I eventually got the Uncanny X-Men Omnibus. It's pretty cool, it collects the first five years of X-Men from that era. It ain't cheap, but I freaking love it.

I bought the Amazing Spider-Man Omnibus. I like it because it collects the complete Ditko run. Unfortunately the size is a problem. Not that long after I bought they started re-releasing the smaller Masterworks editions in paperback which I'd rather have.

Yeah, he is strangely attractive.

Really? I never knew Thor was supposed to be a dirty hippy. Maybe chicks like guys who look like bums.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Clearly they do, just look at rock group groupies.

TC [Girl] said...

@Dave: "Really? I never knew Thor was supposed to be a dirty hippy. Maybe chicks like guys who look like bums."

(I think Eo was just "playing" on the words that I had written...I think. :-)

"I never knew Thor was supposed to be a dirty hippy."

You call him a "dirty hippy" why; because he has long hair?"

"Maybe chicks like guys who look like bums."

...and "bums" for same? Weird! Just because a dude has long hair does not make him a "dirty hippy" nor a "bum!" And, yes...you might be surprised to know that there are a LOT of women who LOVE a dude with long hair; me being one of them and I WISH I could see MORE of them! I don't think long hair makes them look like "dirty hippies" nor "bums" at all! In fact, I find them to be VERY SEXY! :-D

TC [Girl] said...

@Dave: Here's another dude that I'd like to see. Can't tell you what just lookin' at 'im is doing to me! All I gotta say is that watching him will be a great birthday pressie to myself! :-D

Jes said...

"And, yes...you might be surprised to know that there are a LOT of women who LOVE a dude with long hair"

Hey, I used to have plenty of it myself, but then God said, "Okay, that's enough of that crap." Ah well, girls seem to dig the shaved look too.

TC [Girl] said...

Jes said...
Hey, I used to have plenty of it myself, but then God said, "Okay, that's enough of that crap."

FUNNY YOU! :-D

"Ah well, girls seem to dig the shaved look too."

As in...completely bald?

(and I always want to ask you: "Are you Danish? 'Cuz 'Jes' is a Danish name." :-)

TC [Girl] said...

@Dave: one more for the road, Dave. I LOVE HILARIOUS (and long-haired) Russell Brand. :-P

Anonymous said...

You call him a "dirty hippy" why; because he has long hair?"

It's because he has that scruffy, ill-trimmed beard and doesn't look like he washes or combs his hair. Just having long hair has nothing to do with it, as in the comics he always did. It's what you'd expect in his movie incarnation.

So, unfortunately you wasted your time posting those links.

TC [Girl] said...

Didn't waste any more time enjoying the vids than you lookin' at yer little girls! In fact, I thoroughly enjoyed myself! :-D

Have a delightful day!

Jes said...

Nah, not Danish. It's short for Jesse, but I've never liked that name, so I just have people call me Jes instead. Feels more like me, ya know?

TC [Girl] said...

I "get" it, Jes! In Danish, the "j" has a "y" sound so...in a way, it's too bad it isn't Danish 'cuz then it would really work well for my "yes" response! :-D

Anyway...have a great afternoon!

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

I believe The 99 is directly available as digital download on their official website. A culturally fresh approach, and nothing like what you'd fear from a comic series made by muslims. For one thing, the heroes are from all around the world. Kind of echoes Superman's recent and highly polemic decision to stop being an American citizen, because he's fed up with being made a national emblem in a global world.

I've seen some truly catastrophic local/regional stuff in the past, but now this is quite good, IMHO. And it would seem Barack Obama agrees with me. :-)

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Superman did that!? Fantastic!!
In the comic I guess?

That is ground-breaking. Nationalism runs *so* deep in America.

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

It was all over the news. I've found a low-res image for you. If I recall right, it's in issue #900. I'll try to get it on the local market, because you're right: it IS ground-breaking. A collector's keepsake. :-)

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

@ TC [Girl] : Thor? Thor who?

He's not even THAT handsome. I'm better looking than him, and I'm not even an immortal and forever-young Norse god. (Merely your ordinary human sex god.)

But I'm so humble, my humility is now the stuff of legends. (~_^)

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Thank you. Highly interesting.

And interesting to me how... *holy* being An American is to many Americans. Even many otherwise very intelligent ones.

Pascal [P-04referent] said...

"Holy American Patriotism, Batman, is that Captain Flag up in the sky?"

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

I've just posted about the Superman thing, thanks for the tip.

(This will probably bring the anonymice out in force. Ah well.)