Frustrations from the Support Lines
My rooftops need more gargoyles and more brooding time. Also, Santa, another order of ropes. Maybe even some trolls.
In the interim, here’s a picture of Frank Miller. I have a new season plan of issuing a photo of the male author or artist responsible for artwork that is allegedly designed to arouse the young male readership. Why? Because we should all get to see the smiling face of the old men commissioning soft core sketch porn for the comic readership.
First up, say hi to Frank Miller.
Next up, let’s give a big warm Designated Sidekick welcome to Greg “Allergen” Land*
*Trace elements may be present in this Greg Land product
Now for something not related to mockery of the above. Robin 156. (Spoilers after the cut thing) (oh please let this work)
Episode 156 starts off with a surprise snog for Tim.
Well. Surprise is the wrong term. Shock? Discomfort? Disquiet? Confusion as to why that girl is doing that thing with her tongue when Tim thought Kon was the only one who could do that?
See, I just want to disclaim - I never got the Tim/Kon slash thing. I’d been so far Tim/Steph to ever consider any alternative that wasn’t Tim/Steph/Cass or Tim/Cass or Steph/Cass with Tim stuck out on patrol. But I digress and have just sparked at least two fics from readers with that last line.
Tim/Steph. “I love you Aquaman”. I mean, that to me was it. Well, until this issue, and this scene. Tim’s chatting to the redhead boy who’s a possible jumper, and they’re talking about losses and bad stuff. Tim’s commenting on how things have gone wrong in his life, and the two guys are sharing a moment of “Your life is bad?”.
Click through to the full link. Parents to the side, female love interests (Is Cass dead? I didn’t get the memo on that), and front and centre, Tim’s Man. Like, um, yeah, a Tim/Steph apologist here going “Well, that’s pretty clear. That’s the main loss from his life…Superboy”. (Plus, what are Cass and Steph doing? Where’s cass’s hand? and what’s distracted Steph?)
Actually, the whole episode is interesting for Tim’s discomfort at being kissed translating to Robin’s absolute comfort in talking a guy down off a roofledge, through to asking the guy out to breakfast.
I mean, really, I like the direction, I liked the issue. But hey, my ’ship was Tim/Steph, and that ship looks well sunk by this issue. (Is Robin pausing at the door to scope that guy’s arse or what?).
Man, that scale-armor bikini must pinch something awful. And be as drafty as all get-out.
Comment by Ren — December 18, 2006 @ 5:16 pm
*cough*Kon/Cass/Steph/Tim OT4*cough*
Now that I’ve gotten that off my chest, I feel free to be totally creeped out by The Miller picture. Props for picking a skeevy picture there.
Would it have been horrible to give Tim a supporting cast that wasn’t all UST? Without any other normal friends, Tim doesn’t have anyone to talk to about… IDK, not hero-stuff. His altercations with Bernard and other school friends were awesome- especially the one where he conviced the football player not to beat up a nerd, and both left thanking him. That ability is as awesome a superpower as any. Back to the snogagge- not every male/female interaction means attraction, and I would love to see the *friends* angle explored. Like YJ era Tim and Cassie- leaders hug. The way Dick and Donna love each other will outlast Dick/redhead of the week. And so forth.
Or we could give Tim another dead love interest to go with his thing with Cassie. -_-
Comment by Taz — December 19, 2006 @ 1:36 am
>>”… we should all get to see the smiling face of the old men commissioning soft core sketch porn for the comic readership …”
Well, Frank is 50 years old … not aging so gracefully, but that’s his standard “raised eyebrow” headshot pose. As for Greg Land … ok, he’s a fat guy drawing sexy comic women. I attended the annual Philcon a few weeks ago (in Philadelphia). There were pretty people and creepy people. Male and female persuasion, and everything in between. Pretty women and Creepy women SF fans alike favor a bustiere that’s so tight, their breasts are up around their neck. So let’s not dump on Frank and Greg too much … (but let’s not let them off the hook either).
Comment by rich — December 19, 2006 @ 3:40 am
I’m afraid the Greg Land picture isn’t much of a turn-off for me. If he weren’t, you know, a sexist tracer with apparently too much porn on his hands, I’d find him utterly adorable. And then I remember the “pornbody” scan I saw and it’s like a cold shower.
Comment by wallflower — December 20, 2006 @ 10:48 pm
Taz
Which Cass? :)
Comment by Stephen Dann — December 21, 2006 @ 12:41 am
rich, I’m not seeing why the behaviour of fans justifies or mitigates the behaviour of creators. More particularly, I’m not seeing why you’re trotting out women who wear clothing in ways of which you seem to disapprove as some kind of mitigation for the actions of creators.
wallflower, I think the key to Stephen’s reasoning is that the artwork is designed to arouse young straight men. I suspect the audience for which the creator photos are supposed to be a turn-off for are those who are supposed to be aroused by the artwork.
Comment by arielladrake — December 21, 2006 @ 1:07 am
“rich, I’m not seeing why the behaviour of fans justifies or mitigates the behaviour of creators …”
Well, these creators may be scary … but they’re only human … talentless hacks, maybe, but only human.
Comment by rich — December 21, 2006 @ 7:00 am
D:
Greg Land? Looks kinda like my stepfather.
*SQUISHES BRAIN SQUISH SQUISH*
Comment by Minna — December 21, 2006 @ 8:20 pm
rich.
1. Where did I say they were scary? They’re misogynist asshats, but they’re not scary. That doesn’t mean their jobs don’t give them a certain level of (arguably undeserved) responsibility, which they continue to just ignore, and the companies they work for continue to allow them to do so, because (so they claim) idiot fanboys continue to think what they do is even partially justifiable. This ‘female fans do shit I don’t like’ is a apparently a new justification/mitigation.
2. You didn’t actually answer my question. If your point is ‘they’re only human’ (which, by the way, might be an explanation if they fucked up occasionally. Given we’re talking about Land and Miller, we’re talking about much more than a few fuck-ups, we’re talking about long-term patterns of misogynistic crap, so the ‘they’re human’ explanation just doesn’t cut it), the disapproving jab at female fan behaviour is completely unnecessary. I was assuming that you aren’t that much of an ass, and requesting the explanation as to why you’re serving up this description of female fan behaviour as some kind of evidence for why we’re being too hard on Miller and Land.
Comment by arielladrake — December 23, 2006 @ 9:38 am
;P Cass Cain = Cassie
Any combination of those four would work, and has some basis in canon. (In my mind)
Comment by Taz — December 25, 2006 @ 12:52 pm
By which I meant, Cass is NOT equal to Cassie. Apologies.
Comment by Taz — December 25, 2006 @ 12:53 pm
“The way Dick and Donna love each other will outlast Dick/redhead of the week. And so forth.”
Does he have a habit of dating redheads?
“feel free to be totally creeped out by The Miller picture. Props for picking a skeevy picture there.”
I just came across a 1986 Rolling Stone Magazine, which I saved because it has an article/interview with Frank Miller, pertaining to the initial release of DARK KNIGHT RETURNS. He’s younger and has more hair, but the photo of him is basically the same pose as the one posted here. He’s sitting behind a stack of artwork, with one eyebrow raised, chin tucked down to his chest. That’s his “Maverick Comic Creator” pose.
Comment by rich — December 29, 2006 @ 8:12 am
That’s his “Maverick Comic Creator” pose
Frank Miller’s a maverick the way I’m connected to the internet through a goat.
Comment by arielladrake — December 31, 2006 @ 2:27 pm
I’ll concede Frank Miller is a maverick
mav·er·ick (măv’ər-ĭk, măv’rĭk) pronunciation
n.
1. An unbranded range animal, especially a calf that has become separated from its mother, traditionally considered the property of the first person who brands it.
So, Frank, show us where DC stuck the branding iron :)
Comment by Stephen Dann — December 31, 2006 @ 2:42 pm
“So, Frank, show us where DC stuck the branding iron :)”
I’m at a loss to write anything except the standard “LOL”.
LOL!
Comment by rich — January 3, 2007 @ 6:52 am
That Vicky Vale fanservice was shit. Pure shit. Stuff for seedy fat guys in their 50s who can’t get it up. Not even as a teenager I would have fapped to that - too short, too clothed, drawing style too angular, and the “erotic” touches (high heeled slippers, Martini, large window) are way too Penthouse, coke-snorting, suit-wearing, Volvo-driving & cigar-smoking for me. So ludicrously perfect a skin mag photoshoot it’s too surreal to arouse. They call Stan Lee a dirty old man, but at least Stripperella was done purely for shits and giggles, this on the other hand feels like Miller dragging me down to his level. Nasty shit I tell you. Finding that “hot” is like the acid test for identifying idiots who wouldn’t qualify to operate a sandwich - so DO NOT assume males find THAT appealing. I swear the acrobatic underage skinsuit-pussyshots Masakazu Katsura (utter dirty old man since like his early 20s, affectionately known as “the fanny man” among his fans, and rabid Batman fan) randomly throws at you during fight scenes (quite epic camera work I might add) have more integrity than THAT
And excuse me, I’ve never read it, but isn’t Red Sonya supposed to be an amazon? with THAT build, she looks like she’d strain as a goo-goo dancer. Floppy belly and drumsticks for legs, RETCH. Stop tracing porn, fatso! buy some fitness magazine at least!
Comment by KJK::Hyperion — January 7, 2007 @ 2:11 pm