Lenny Williams Loves you so much it HURTS

Seriously, they don't make R&B like this anymore. I want to do this song at Karaoke so bad, you don't even know.

Where I'm at on the Internet

I'm totally stealing this from Warren Ellis, but it's a good thing to do every now and again.

These are the places I'm most active:

• Twitter - You can follow me on Twitter, which is where I do most everything today
• Last.fm - Last.fm is actual a social dealie I can get behind. Good way to find new music. Friend me up.
• LinkedIn - The professional networking site.

These are places where I have a presence, but don't use that much:

• Facebook - I have an account, but rarely look at it right now. I have it mostly because it seems like you have to have one.
• Tumblr - I have a Tumblr log that I was using as a feed for my blog and Twitter in one place - I'll probably be using it properly soon. Maybe.

Other junk:

• Dazzler Fan Blog - The #4 Dazzler Fan Blog on the Internet!
• PhilipLooney.com - Just because.
  

And we're back...

At least for a little while. As I tend to blog in stops and starts, spending as much time as I did blogging post-HeroesCon, I ran out of gas. While I was away, there were a few things that happened:

• There was this movie that came out that had Batman in it. There is nothing I can say about it that hasn't already been said.
  
  
• SDCC happened. I can't tell you much that came out of it other than a Wolverine movie trailer and the new Scott Pilgrim book being announced. I really haven't followed much else - just very blah about it.
  
  
• I did read the entire Zot! book. That happens when you have a 4 1/2 hour plane ride (one way). Zot is some some good comics, let me tell you. It's interesting to see a lot of McCloud's theories from Understanding Comics in their early stages of development. The real bonus is the commentary from McCloud on each issue. It's interesting to see an accomplished creator/artist be as critical of his own work as anyone else; and reminds me of some of the ways McCloud inspired me to make comics myself.
  
  Makes me want to break out and read his Comics Trilogy again.
  
  
• Speaking of making comics (and I'm going to go off on a tangent here), Matt linked to this neat flash based Pop Candy Mini Comic. It's one of those simple ideas that just really sings in mini comic form; and make me want to try an make comics again.
  
  Even though it's been well over a year since I tried to draw anything, I still think a lot about making comics. Articles like this one on lifehack about doing something you're bad at just because it's fun make me want to pick up the sketch book again. I'm sort of a self defeatist though, as I know I probably never will, but I keep telling myself I will.
  
  
• Anyway, enough of my whining.
  

Rectifying Mistakes

Just got my copy of Essential Dazzler today from Amazon. I really should have listened to Porto, and gone $5 over budget at HeroesCon to get this. Dazzler Fan Blog aside, she fights Galactus in issue #10.



What was I thinking for passing this up? Oh well, consider this regret made up for.

Seperated At Birth - Blogger Edition Part 2

The Beyonder and "Flashback" Jim Shelley

Secret Wars II - True Player for Real

Issue 4 of Secret Wars II is responsible for a long held belief as to who the most powerful mutant in the Marvel Universe was. To set up, The Beyonder is searching for meaning in the form of love, but he has yet to find it.


The Beyonder doesn't just break up with you though. He also uses your water pick and then stone walks out on you.


After the Beyonder leaves he comes back and says that he has found the woman for him:

Yes, IT'S DAZZLER! Now the next panel is the clincher.

You read that right - Dazzler is the most powerful mutant ever to walk the planet. This was a belief I held onto for many years as a pre-teen. It was based on this that I would usually play with Dazzler in the X-Men Arcade game. It wasn't until I was maybe 16 or so, when I was chatting with Chad at the Comic Shop and mentioned that the Beyonder said Dazzler was the most powerful mutant, and he said "Yeah, every mutant has been the most power mutant ever at one time or another." That knocked my long held b right out the water for me.

The rest of the issue involves the Beyonder wooing Dazzler while they fight the Avengers. Nothing else much of note.

So concludes our review of Secret Wars II, and a walk down memory lane. I'll probably look at completing the run later, but no way am I spending $63 on an Omnibus.

Secret Wars II - It's like The Godfather, but Cosmic

Issue 3 of Secret Wars II is basically Jim Shooter's Scarface II pitch. It involves The Beyonder falling in with some mafia types, in a surprisingly dark issue for a mainstream Marvel comic of the early 80's.

Here was have the group that Frank Miller is going be resurrecting when he goes back to Marvel. Your character find here is Laverne Lacy, Smurfette.

Vinnie and his gang re-name The Beyonder Frank, and take advantage of his power to create gold out of thin air, rough up people who are late on their loan payments, and cure his "girls" of their "colds". But there is a give and take here, as Vinne and his crew teach him some valuable lessons:

Incidentally, "some matter is to eat - other matter is not" is how I will one day teach a child not to eat paste.

The Beyonder goes on to become a top mob enforcer, using his new found status to get a gerri curl, a red lether jump suite, a penthouse suite, and as many gadgets as he can buy from Radio Shack. For instance, a food processor for his car.


He also invents a new weight loss program.

Behold: The Power of Atkins!

The Beyonder then decides that his food chopper and weight loss empire are not enough, so he takes over the whole world, and promptly pulls a Spectre:

He looks like he's going to eat the planet like a delicous sandwich.

In the end, even with all his power, the Beyonder is left feeling empty. He goes back to Toots, and she teaches him that love is the key to happiness, so he releases everyone from his power.

I'm sure there is a deeper message here about excess and free will, but it's buried under gerri curls and guido suits.