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Ian: A comic book Q&A

October 11th, 2008

I’ve known Ian since high school and I probably consider him one of the better sounding boards when it comes to comic books (we got into comics around the same time and read the same Marvel books for a while). He is one of the few people that I know online that hasn’t succumbed to starting a blog

Favourite regular series right now?
Right now, It’s Avengers: The Initiative. I really wanted to say Ghost Rider but it’s been pipped at the post the last few months. Danny Ketch is making a comeback so I hope this launches the book back into my #1 spot.
Comic book character you only recently discovered/started reading?
I recently started reading Angel: After the Fall as it’s set shortly after the end of the TV series. I don’t think I’ll continue with it though as I’m not that fussed with the writing or the art.
If you could draw/write one character who would it be?
The Danny Ketch Ghost Rider!
Are you a fan of the big multi issue crossover extravaganzas?
No! I’d be OK with them if there was a break between them, but one starts just as one stops and I just don’t have the cash to keep buying every title in the particular comic book universe indefinitely. What I really don’t like is that the events in the crossovers become ingrained in the continuum and only partially referred to after the event, so if you didn’t read what happened, you keep thinking ‘why are they feeling/looking like/doing that’. Annoying, very annoying.
Last comic book series that you dropped and why?
Heroes for Hire. I started reading after it launched dung one of the many crossover sagas but I dropped it after 5 issues because the characters weren’t focussed and the story’s were pretty weak.
Favourite character?
Ghost Rider!
Are you a DC or a Marvel?
Definitely Marvel.
Do you remember your first comic/series?
Absolutely. The first comic I bought was Ghost Rider (Danny Ketch) #20 when I was 14.
Is Watchmen the movie going to be as good as the comic book?
I have no idea, I’ve never read Watchmen.
Favourite comic book movie?
The Dark Knight. That move blew me away.
Worst comic book movie?
Hulk. Arthouse? Really?
Character you’d like to see in a movie?
The Sentry. A guy with the power of a million exploding suns (or something like that) who is extremely mentally unstable could make for a really good movie.
Series that you’d like to see on TV?
Daredevil.

If you just can’t get enough of these comic book Q&As you can read Rol’s responses here.

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Categories: Comics | Tags: angel, avengers, comic book Q&A, comic book series, comic books, crossovers, danny ketch, Ghost Rider, Ian, Marvel, QA, question and answer, The Dark Knight, watchmen | 2 Comments

Top five shows that shouldn’t have been cancelled

July 4th, 2008

Well it’s Friday for me and that means two things, I can sleep in tomorrow (but I won’t) and it’s time for the Friday top five.

Every once and a while I am reminded that it is show business, not show friends. Production companies are increasingly not your friend. They package stuff and tell you that you like it and it’s edgy and how clever it is. Often the movies and the shows aren’t actually these things.

Once and a while though a show is really good, really clever and you do love it. But it doesn’t sell Cheetos, not to the right people anyway and they take your friend away.

Not because the show sucks, in fact the show has tonnes of potential but the suits only care about the bottom line, not the art.

Today’s list is my Top Ten shows that shouldn’t have been cancelled:

Quit Your Day Job Five Shows that shouldn't have been cancelled

Farscape - to me it is so obvious, I have no idea why the show was taken off the air. They had agreed to do a fifth season, they pulled the plug with little notice so what we were left with was a cliff hanger series finale. Pfft. Whatever, they came back and did the amazing Peacekeeper Wars. The thing is that they should not have cancelled a show that the suits themselves referred to as a “smart, sexy, intelligent and fun series that rewrites the book on sci-fi entertainment. Farscape is not only the most ambitious original series on basic cable, we think it’s one of the best-written shows on television, period.“
Firefly - I guess this is another one of those shows that it doesn’t make any obvious sense to cancel in my mind. The cast were great, the stories entertaining and the look of the show was breathtaking. It didn’t help that it was shown in the wrong order in irregular times. The show was badly handled by the network.
Enterprise - not many are going to agree with me on this one, I don’t care. The show got really good in the forth season and we were strung along by the studio so they could make 100 episodes and syndicate the show. When the powers that be removed themselves from the day to day production the show got really strong it was only when they returned for the series finale that it sucked again. There was so much they could have done!
Seaquest DSV - yeah, this is a weird one. First season was well made, generally well acted and was taking this type of show in a different direction. The second and third seasons became more sci fi focused, much to Roy Schneider’s dismay. Despite the flaws I could easily have watched another season.
Angel - who didn’t want to see Angel go fight him a dragon? I know it never rated as well as Buffy but those who watched it, loved it. I know there’s a Season Six comic series but it just isn’t the same and now I suspect we’ll never see an Angel film or mini series - sigh

Oh yes there are lots that have been missed, Men in Trees for example that was the result of bad network management, Futurama which was cancelled for who knows why!? Aquaman never even got to a series. Recently I would have at least liked to see the end of Invasion, Threshold and Surface.

So open the floodgates, shed a tear and share your most missed shows that should never have been cancelled!!

Popularity: 10% [?]

Categories: Top five | Tags: angel, Enterprise, Farscape, Firefly, Friday top five, peacekeeper wars, seaquest dsv, Top five | 19 Comments

You can barely tell

March 14th, 2008

The other side of the angel has been smashed and is broken away:

Angel monument taken by Lee Sargent 2008

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Categories: photos | Tags: angel, cemetary | 2 Comments

An afternoon with the departed

February 3rd, 2008

Weird weekend in that we decided to head off to one of the really old cemeteries this afternoon because we’ve been meaning to check it out for ages and it was pretty rainy today and we thought we would be able to get some awesome photos.

This is one of the cemeteries that was badly hit by vandals and it is not until you visit the place that you get an understanding of the extent of the absolute stupidity and bloody mindedness of some people. Grave after grave smashed up and left to sink into the soil.

I will post some of the photos of the destruction but I thought I would post one of my favourite shots today to focus on the sad beauty of the place:

Angel looking over the smashed remains of a gravestone