Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Taking A Break
I think I'm going to take a break from this whole blogging thing for a little while.My brain is in a million places at once.I can't think of anything to write about.I've always used comics as my default topic, but I'm just growing tired of writing about them.I'd much rather just read them.Even reading WFA is getting tiring to me because I'm tired of hearing people bitch and insult each other.It makes me cranky and my posts have been too negative recently which is exactly what I NEVER WANTED.This was supposed to be my happy, brain pressure release valve.Instead it has become a window into my continuing disappointment with the human race.If I'm inspired I will write, otherwise I'm not going to kill myself trying to come up with a topic every day.And quite frankly, I don't think anyone would care if I never came back.Life goes on.
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
How I Read Comics
Nowadays just about the only thing I read is comic books.I have regular books in my bookcase.Some of those don't even have pictures.But nothing has grabbed my attention like the comic book.I'm not sure if it's the characters, the format, the art, or whatever that has roped me in.But here I am.I even blog about comics here and there.
I also read other blogs about comics.I've stated many times in the past that I just don't understand the fandom.After reading so much negativity and people taking it upon themselves to become comic activists and others just pulling all sorts of subtext out of them I often wonder if I'm actually the strange one.I don't even try to find any subtext in my reading material.It requires too much thinking.Thinking isn't a bad thing, but sometimes I want to suspend that and just enjoy myself.
What am I even looking for?Am I just reading them to kill time?Is this just one more activity that I'm going to drop a year from now when something else comes my way to distract me?Is there something of substance to this hobby that I have adopted and spent soooo much time and money on?I though maybe I could look into that.
I go to my LCS on Thursday morning.It's the best time for me.I usually have a good idea what I'm looking for because I'll scan Diamond's shipping list sometime during the week.I'll first get what I know I want and, if I haven't already spent all of my money, I'll go through the shelves and pick up some random books that I think might be interesting.It doesn't seem like a big investment for me to spend 3 or 4 dollars to try something out.Sometimes I'll pick up a TPB too.There's definetely some impulse buying going on there.
When I sit down to read my comics I'm looking for one main thing:I want to feel like I'm in the story.It should not register in my brain that I am reading a comic.I should know what is going on without having to backtrack and re-read anything.The art, the lettering, and the story should all just come together and take me away.Allusions to real-life situations like politics or any -isms don't affect my enjoyment or my ability to escape.Why not?It's FICTION. Even fiction about real events is still fiction.I feel that if I let my own agenda taint my reading that I'd be cheating myself and I wouldn't enjoy them as much.That's pretty much what happened to me with video games.
Getting back to my point, I just need to feel swept away.I want to feel like I am standing right there with the characters, seeing just what they see.If, when I finish the comic, I open it up again it's because I want to re-read something that blew my mind and not because I was clueless about what went on.And that's really it.I watch movies with the same mindset.I want to be entertained.I'm here with an open mind.I'm not interested in social commentary unless it is part of the story.I'll accept the flaws if the product is good enough.I don't think that makes me weird.
As far as whether or not this will last with me I just don't know.It's been about two years now and my interest is stronger than ever.And I don't know what they could do to piss me off enough to make me stop.This hobby scratches all sorts of itches for me.I get to read, look at (mostly) great art, organize them, and there's an endless amount of material.I think the outlook is good.
This post was pretty pointless.I think I just wanted to write something today.Anything.Par for the course, I guess.
I also read other blogs about comics.I've stated many times in the past that I just don't understand the fandom.After reading so much negativity and people taking it upon themselves to become comic activists and others just pulling all sorts of subtext out of them I often wonder if I'm actually the strange one.I don't even try to find any subtext in my reading material.It requires too much thinking.Thinking isn't a bad thing, but sometimes I want to suspend that and just enjoy myself.
What am I even looking for?Am I just reading them to kill time?Is this just one more activity that I'm going to drop a year from now when something else comes my way to distract me?Is there something of substance to this hobby that I have adopted and spent soooo much time and money on?I though maybe I could look into that.
I go to my LCS on Thursday morning.It's the best time for me.I usually have a good idea what I'm looking for because I'll scan Diamond's shipping list sometime during the week.I'll first get what I know I want and, if I haven't already spent all of my money, I'll go through the shelves and pick up some random books that I think might be interesting.It doesn't seem like a big investment for me to spend 3 or 4 dollars to try something out.Sometimes I'll pick up a TPB too.There's definetely some impulse buying going on there.
When I sit down to read my comics I'm looking for one main thing:I want to feel like I'm in the story.It should not register in my brain that I am reading a comic.I should know what is going on without having to backtrack and re-read anything.The art, the lettering, and the story should all just come together and take me away.Allusions to real-life situations like politics or any -isms don't affect my enjoyment or my ability to escape.Why not?It's FICTION. Even fiction about real events is still fiction.I feel that if I let my own agenda taint my reading that I'd be cheating myself and I wouldn't enjoy them as much.That's pretty much what happened to me with video games.
Getting back to my point, I just need to feel swept away.I want to feel like I am standing right there with the characters, seeing just what they see.If, when I finish the comic, I open it up again it's because I want to re-read something that blew my mind and not because I was clueless about what went on.And that's really it.I watch movies with the same mindset.I want to be entertained.I'm here with an open mind.I'm not interested in social commentary unless it is part of the story.I'll accept the flaws if the product is good enough.I don't think that makes me weird.
As far as whether or not this will last with me I just don't know.It's been about two years now and my interest is stronger than ever.And I don't know what they could do to piss me off enough to make me stop.This hobby scratches all sorts of itches for me.I get to read, look at (mostly) great art, organize them, and there's an endless amount of material.I think the outlook is good.
This post was pretty pointless.I think I just wanted to write something today.Anything.Par for the course, I guess.
Monday, October 29, 2007
Just When I Thought I Was Getting Away
So I've been a bit down recently on my involvement in pro wrestling.I've been feeling pretty worthless there because I never seem to get to do anything except be a glorified cheerleader.All I really want to do is get physically involved and get hit a few times.I know by being a manager those opportunities don't always come about, but recently it seems as though they NEVER come.
My group had its TV taping this past weekend.I wasn't completely into going because I knew that I would, at most, have a promo to film.My mind was racing with thoughts of just quitting. No one is putting a gun to my head and forcing me to do this.The only thing that holds me back is not wanting to stop doing something I dreamt of doing as a kid, even if the reality of it is different from the fantasy.
I get to the building and right away I'm told that they're putting together a program between one of the other managers and me.That means I'll be getting a match next month!!Glory fucking days it happened!Anyway,I got to cut two promos to promote it.During the second promo, my adversary came out and I got in his face.The whole premise is supposed to be that I'm jealous of the attention he receives because (here's a surprise) I feel it is rightfully mine.After berating him for a few minutes he grabs me by the shirt and cocks back his fist to punch me.The guy I manage attacks him from behind and grabs his arms.I get right in his face and start yelling at him and I also get to smack him silly.The fight ends with him being thrown to the ground as I walk over him and then spit on him before leaving.It felt pretty good and the crowd, though small, was giving me plenty of heat.
Next month we get to have a match.I'm not sure if it going to be this one match and then the feud is over or if this will be an ongoing thing.I'm grateful for getting this match, but I'm really hoping for an ongoing thing.I'd love to have a gimmick match as the blow-off, preferably something with weapons.When I say weapons I don't mean knives and guns, I mean chains, leather straps, chairs, etc.A no-disqualification match would work for me as well.But it's not my call.It's the promoter's.I'll go with what he says.
I've worked with this guy before and we always have a good time putting these matches together.I usually put together the bulk of the match, even though he's wrestled many more actual matches than I have.(I have about 6 or 7 to my name.He probably has about 30.)It's a neat thing to go through.It's like choreographing a fight scene.My character is a cowardly heel and I'm not afraid to play it for laughs with some slapstick spots.I know that he's looking forward to it because I will actually let him hit me hard.The only thing I don't do is any "pulling pants down to humiliate" spots.The last time I did that 200 people got a full moon and also came one inch away from seeing my full monty because the guy who pulled my pants down grabbed up too high and hooked my underwear too.(That sentence would look really bad taken out of context.)That was easily my most embarrassing moment in wrestling.
So for the next month,I'll be plotting some epic battle in my head.I've already got a boatload of ideas.I'm going back to practice on Saturday to work them out with the guy.I'm going to make the most out of this chance so hopefully I can get more matches.It's almost as if the promoter knew I was feeling disenfrachised and came up with something to pull me back in.Indy wrestling is rough.You see a lot of people come and go.Many people get hurt.Some guys just want to wrestle a few matches in front of friends to look cool before quitting.Some people quit because there's little to no money being made.I've stuck with it out of pure love.I've been scorned but I'm still there.And apparently I'm still going to be there for a while longer.
My group had its TV taping this past weekend.I wasn't completely into going because I knew that I would, at most, have a promo to film.My mind was racing with thoughts of just quitting. No one is putting a gun to my head and forcing me to do this.The only thing that holds me back is not wanting to stop doing something I dreamt of doing as a kid, even if the reality of it is different from the fantasy.
I get to the building and right away I'm told that they're putting together a program between one of the other managers and me.That means I'll be getting a match next month!!Glory fucking days it happened!Anyway,I got to cut two promos to promote it.During the second promo, my adversary came out and I got in his face.The whole premise is supposed to be that I'm jealous of the attention he receives because (here's a surprise) I feel it is rightfully mine.After berating him for a few minutes he grabs me by the shirt and cocks back his fist to punch me.The guy I manage attacks him from behind and grabs his arms.I get right in his face and start yelling at him and I also get to smack him silly.The fight ends with him being thrown to the ground as I walk over him and then spit on him before leaving.It felt pretty good and the crowd, though small, was giving me plenty of heat.
Next month we get to have a match.I'm not sure if it going to be this one match and then the feud is over or if this will be an ongoing thing.I'm grateful for getting this match, but I'm really hoping for an ongoing thing.I'd love to have a gimmick match as the blow-off, preferably something with weapons.When I say weapons I don't mean knives and guns, I mean chains, leather straps, chairs, etc.A no-disqualification match would work for me as well.But it's not my call.It's the promoter's.I'll go with what he says.
I've worked with this guy before and we always have a good time putting these matches together.I usually put together the bulk of the match, even though he's wrestled many more actual matches than I have.(I have about 6 or 7 to my name.He probably has about 30.)It's a neat thing to go through.It's like choreographing a fight scene.My character is a cowardly heel and I'm not afraid to play it for laughs with some slapstick spots.I know that he's looking forward to it because I will actually let him hit me hard.The only thing I don't do is any "pulling pants down to humiliate" spots.The last time I did that 200 people got a full moon and also came one inch away from seeing my full monty because the guy who pulled my pants down grabbed up too high and hooked my underwear too.(That sentence would look really bad taken out of context.)That was easily my most embarrassing moment in wrestling.
So for the next month,I'll be plotting some epic battle in my head.I've already got a boatload of ideas.I'm going back to practice on Saturday to work them out with the guy.I'm going to make the most out of this chance so hopefully I can get more matches.It's almost as if the promoter knew I was feeling disenfrachised and came up with something to pull me back in.Indy wrestling is rough.You see a lot of people come and go.Many people get hurt.Some guys just want to wrestle a few matches in front of friends to look cool before quitting.Some people quit because there's little to no money being made.I've stuck with it out of pure love.I've been scorned but I'm still there.And apparently I'm still going to be there for a while longer.
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