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icon_ukAnyone looking at the Google homepage today will have seen that they are honouring the man too.
I've posted about him before, but make no apologies for posting to celebrate what would have been his 75th birthday, in some happy alternate universe where he is still with us, and probably still wowing us.
Alas, on our Earth, Mr Henson left the world over 20 years ago now, at an absurdly young age, but he achieved more creative output in his life than just about any other three artists you can name, and all thanks to a skill with puppets, a belief that children didn't need to be talked down to to be entertained and an unshakeable conviction in the fundamental decency of people.
Of course, he's still best known for the magnificent lunacy which was the (proudly UK financed and produced) magnum opus "The Muppet Show" which included everything from boomerang fish, to Peter Sellers playing the gypsy violin.
( Unabashed sentimentality within )
I've posted about him before, but make no apologies for posting to celebrate what would have been his 75th birthday, in some happy alternate universe where he is still with us, and probably still wowing us.
Alas, on our Earth, Mr Henson left the world over 20 years ago now, at an absurdly young age, but he achieved more creative output in his life than just about any other three artists you can name, and all thanks to a skill with puppets, a belief that children didn't need to be talked down to to be entertained and an unshakeable conviction in the fundamental decency of people.
Of course, he's still best known for the magnificent lunacy which was the (proudly UK financed and produced) magnum opus "The Muppet Show" which included everything from boomerang fish, to Peter Sellers playing the gypsy violin.
( Unabashed sentimentality within )
Amalgam Universe Part 16
Aug. 23rd, 2011 11:03 pmglprimeWelcome once again, to the major comics crossover event that made readers say, "...Wait, What?"
We're throwing comics at the wall here to see what sticks. (why yes, I have just finished a Portal 2 binge.)
Combining (broadly) the Doom Patrol and X-Force, two misfit bands of tragic mutants led by a rather unbalanced, near-sociopathic Futurist gets us...
( Those misfits, misfits of science (ha)... )
14 1/3 pages behind the cut, 7 from X-Patrol #1 and 7 1/3 from Exciting X-Patrol #1.
We're throwing comics at the wall here to see what sticks. (why yes, I have just finished a Portal 2 binge.)
Combining (broadly) the Doom Patrol and X-Force, two misfit bands of tragic mutants led by a rather unbalanced, near-sociopathic Futurist gets us...
( Those misfits, misfits of science (ha)... )
14 1/3 pages behind the cut, 7 from X-Patrol #1 and 7 1/3 from Exciting X-Patrol #1.
icon_ukLast time, I castigated a themed-villain team that Karl and Barbara Kesel created for Hawk and Dove, the Cyber-Brats were... not good.
However, given some fun toys to play with, the Kesel's can have great fun.... Case in point; The Royal Flush Gang
Just over 7 pages from each of two 22 page issues.
( Cue obvious 'cut' joke.. )
However, given some fun toys to play with, the Kesel's can have great fun.... Case in point; The Royal Flush Gang
Just over 7 pages from each of two 22 page issues.
( Cue obvious 'cut' joke.. )
Tags:
icon_ukI'll say from the start, as I've said before, that I love the Kesels' "Hawk and Dove" run, Hank and Dawn were great characters, the supporting cast was fun, they went to some interesting places and developed the concept of Hawk and Dove in ways the original series never managed.
I ALSO love themed villains, those whose obsession takes control of their lives and emerges in some warped form of criminality or lifestyle. The Riddler, the Serpent Society, hell, even the Death Throws (The Multiverse's only homicidal criminal team of... umm... jugglers)
Now even bearing both those facts in mind, I have to admit that sometimes things can be taken a little far, an amusing verbal tic becomes so irritating that you just want to scream at the people on the page to STOP IT!!
Case in point.... from 1991, Hawk and Dove
That's one heck of a melodramatic title isn't it? "Input: Action.... Output: DEATH!" (Dun-dun-DUNNNNNNN!)
( Meet the Cyber Brats... )
I ALSO love themed villains, those whose obsession takes control of their lives and emerges in some warped form of criminality or lifestyle. The Riddler, the Serpent Society, hell, even the Death Throws (The Multiverse's only homicidal criminal team of... umm... jugglers)
Now even bearing both those facts in mind, I have to admit that sometimes things can be taken a little far, an amusing verbal tic becomes so irritating that you just want to scream at the people on the page to STOP IT!!
Case in point.... from 1991, Hawk and Dove
That's one heck of a melodramatic title isn't it? "Input: Action.... Output: DEATH!" (Dun-dun-DUNNNNNNN!)
( Meet the Cyber Brats... )
icon_uk"Who?" I hear you ask?
Detective Arsala was a recurring character in Karl and Barbara Kesel's exemplary Hawk and Dove series in the late 80's early 90's. A member of the Washington Special Crimes Unit (If Metropolis can have a Task Force devoted to metahuman crimes, it only makes sense that Washington DC have one too, no?)
He was a fun character, an excellent police officer if a little eccentric, notably in his taste for Hawaiian shirts so garish, they'd make your eyes bleed!
Here, from Hawk and Dove #13, he's on his first date with Dove (He even wearing a suit for about the first time ever), it's not exactly standard first date small talk... He can't as her about her day, as she has a secret identity, and he spent the day examining corpses in the morgue... so they end up talking shop...
( It sounds so obvious when someone else says it... )
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icon_uk.insanejournal.comThe Karl and Barbara Kesel run on Hawk and Dove was one of my favourite titles back in the 1990's. They oversaw the introduction of Dawn Granger as the second Dove (Who was, to be honest, FAR more interesting than Don Hall had ever been) and created as good a superhero comic as one might hope to find as well.
The Kesels are amongst the few people who seems to "get" Jack Kirby characters and concept, Karl in particular used them a lot in things like this title (and Superboy), and in a way that was usually respectful, but expanded on them in ways that Kirby never did, usually because he was already moving on to his NEXT idea.
Take the Female Furies, Granny Goodness' elite warriors; Lashina, Stompa, Bernadeth and the marvellously named Mad Harriet. In some way these ladies are a lynchpin of the DCU, an equivalent perhaps to the MU's Wrecking Crew. They're powerful, versatile, each has an awesome visual design, and together form a team which is a good, but not unbeatable, challenge for a new hero team (or single hero if they're powerful enough) to test their mettle and resourcefulness. They also have the advantage of not needing much explanatory motivation "A mission from Darkseid/Granny Goodness" covers a multitude of plot points.
And at the same time, they had a static membership for a LOOOONG time. Prior to this story they had only ever added ONE member to the team when John Ostrander introduced the archer Artemiz and her cyber-pack (Technologically enhanced Apokaliptian wolves, NOT exactly cuddly puppies).
And then we had this story, from Hawk and Dove 21, with guest art from Steve Erwin, which presents us with a...
The Kesels are amongst the few people who seems to "get" Jack Kirby characters and concept, Karl in particular used them a lot in things like this title (and Superboy), and in a way that was usually respectful, but expanded on them in ways that Kirby never did, usually because he was already moving on to his NEXT idea.
Take the Female Furies, Granny Goodness' elite warriors; Lashina, Stompa, Bernadeth and the marvellously named Mad Harriet. In some way these ladies are a lynchpin of the DCU, an equivalent perhaps to the MU's Wrecking Crew. They're powerful, versatile, each has an awesome visual design, and together form a team which is a good, but not unbeatable, challenge for a new hero team (or single hero if they're powerful enough) to test their mettle and resourcefulness. They also have the advantage of not needing much explanatory motivation "A mission from Darkseid/Granny Goodness" covers a multitude of plot points.
And at the same time, they had a static membership for a LOOOONG time. Prior to this story they had only ever added ONE member to the team when John Ostrander introduced the archer Artemiz and her cyber-pack (Technologically enhanced Apokaliptian wolves, NOT exactly cuddly puppies).
And then we had this story, from Hawk and Dove 21, with guest art from Steve Erwin, which presents us with a...
( Girls' Night Out )
Clois Goodies
Aug. 15th, 2009 07:07 pmsailorlibra.insanejournal.comA quiet moment for Clark and Lois. Drawn by Amanda Conner a.k.a. she of the adorable drawing.
