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hbthomas... Comment on this post. I will choose seven interests from your profile and you will explain what they mean and why you are interested in them. Post this along with your answers in your own journal so others can play along.
(Yes, I've done this. But always happy to do it again. :) )
I was asked about:
1. Alton Brown is the host of several Food Network TV shows, including my personal favorite: Good Eats. He explains the science of cooking in fun and nerdy ways. Good food, silliness, and chemistry lessons! What more could you want?
2. Comic Books. (In particular, my subscription list.) I got into them in the early 90's. I'd felt like I should be into them. So, one day, hanging around NY Penn Station, I picked up an issue of X-Men (Issue #32, I believe after some quick browsing) off a newstand. Read it on the train home. And... it was like a four-color soap opera. Which I didn't understand because it was part of a larger story arc. A story arc which focused on Psylocke, a character I'd never heard of before. In particular, a rather confusing chapter of her history involving brainwashing, a body swap, and an impostor.
Despite that experience, I later picked up an issue of Spider-Man of another newstand. I liked it well enough to give subscriptions a shot. And, despite the fact that it was the tail end of the Clone Arc (exactly where a great many long-time fans jumped ship). Smack in the middle of the "Maximum Clonage" storyline. I was confused when Ben Reilly took over as Spider-Man, but, being new to comics, I didn't have a problem with it. I actually liked him and his "updated" costume. I still have a poster of him in my room. Beautifully painted artwork designed to look like a Manhattan window. Ben, in costume, is sticking to the outside of the window, upside-down. Past him, you can see part of the city skyline. And an explosion on the side of a building across the street.
Anyway, I started subscribing to Marvel Direct. Did that for a few years, but got increasingly frustrated with their service. Comics arrived late or not at all, to the point that I could never be sure if I'd missed an issue until the next one arrived. They were good about crediting me when I called up, but still... *sigh*
Eventually, I switched to Jacey Services, which is a small business run by one guy with about two dozen customers. Highly recommended for anyone who regularly buys comics, no matter where you live. With that, I could expand out and start reading some DC stuff. And, eventually, a couple of other titles...
Right now, I'm reading:
Buffy Season 8
Angel After The Fall
DC:
Superman
Action Comics
Supergirl
Batman
Detective Comics
Batgirl
Catwoman
Marvel:
Amazing Spider-Man
Amazing Spider-Girl
Daredevil
Ms. Marvel
She-Hulk
Deadpool
Ultimate Marvel:
Spider-Man
Fantastic Four
X-men
Ultimates
Image:
Invincible
Noble Causes
Firebreather
Gemini
Also:
Atomic Robo
Project Superpowers
Gargoyles
Various miniseries, as they pop up. (I now officially avoid mega-crossovers as much as possible, however.)
Defunct but fondly remembered:
Astro City, Top Ten (there's a new mini out soon, but it's by another author), Hero Squared, Gotham Central, Clockwork Girl
I think that mostly covers it. Happy to answer questions about any or all.
3. Egrets are pretty white birds who live mostly in estuaries (half-saltwater, half-freshwater habitats found in and around the mouths of rivers). Like herons, they're wading birds. There are a good number of them who live on the Gulf Coast of Florida, where we spend some time in the winter. They're just really beautiful, especially in flight.
4. Flolloping. "This is a thing that only live mattresses in swamps are able to do, which is why the word is not in more common usage." From "Life, The Universe, and Everything" - book three of The Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy. You can read the relevant excerpt
here. If you're wondering about live mattresses:
So, in short... somewhere out there (in the Guide universe, anyway) there's a planet with a species of living mattresses. The mattresses bounce and play in the endless swamps. And just as only a pig in a nice big mud puddle can properly wallow, so it is that only a happy, springy mattress in a swamp can flollop. I can't do it, and odds are rather good that I'll never even see it done. Still, it sounds like fun. And it's a neat little obscure reference to the series. :)
5. Girl Genius Online is one of my favorite webcomics. I first picked it up in graphic novel form, and then found that I could read the whole series for free on the web. Including the stuff that hadn't made it into the ever-more-rarely published books. It's about, as the motto goes, "Adventure! Romance! Mad Science!!" Takes place in a steampunk world. (Kind of retro sci-fi. A romanticized 19th century Europe filled with things like artificially intelligent robots, but built with period hardware - steam engines, gears, and a lot of gleaming metal.) It follows the adventures of Agatha Clay, a young woman who turns out to be a Spark (someone with the "spark" of genius unique to mad scientists). One with an unexpected history and a significant destiny. It's really cool. Check it out.
Other webcomics I read:
Ozy and Millie Two young foxes (a boy and a girl) who are best friends. Sadly, it's due to end soon. But the archives make for a very fun read.
Unshelved Takes place in a local library.
Doonesbury Long-running syndicated newspaper strip. Often very political (US liberal).
Sinfest Recommended by the good people of Unshelved. A short pimp/playa wannabe, the egotistical young hottie he lusts after, and his pot-smoking best friend (who is literally a pig). Also, the Hand of God (talks via hand puppet, sticking up from the clouds), the Devil, a pair of cloyingly sweet angel wannabes, a devil fanboy, a naive book nerd, and, every once in a while, a dog and cat (supposedly?) owned by the artist. Random, sometimes offensive, sometimes low-brow, but often entertaining (sometimes surprisingly so).
Shortpacked Takes place in a toy store. Much silliness. Much toy/fandom humor. A fair number of Batman jokes. A couple of characters have crossed over from the author's long-running strip (which has had several names of the years), currently known as Joyce and Walky. The latter is a subscription comic, but the archives are well worth the read. Starts off with college roommates and their adventures, delves into alien abductions, switches over to focusing on a secret organization dedicated to fighting aliens, and then evolves again into something more of a romance. While keeping its sense of humor the whole time. If you like Shortpacked, it's definitely worth checking out.
Supermegatopia Superhero parody. Adventures of various characters, some of them quite entertaining. Has now become a sporadically updated gallery of superheroine breast gags. All characters are furries (anthropomorphic animals). Partial nudity. I'm not really sure why I keep checking the site, except that there are a few scattered gems amongst the gags. And I guess I'm hoping that one of these days, they'll get back to some of the actual stories. There's also a link to a series of single-panel comics which take place in the World of Warcraft universe, "By Way of Booty Bay."
Newshounds A woman adopts a bunch of dogs, who turn out to have a talent for newscasting. Some gags, some drama, some a-plots.
Breakpoint City Superhero parody adventure. A genius nerd takes a trip forward in time with his dog (who, thanks to a clever little gadget, can talk) and ends up getting super powers in the bargain. Very infrequently updated, but there's a fair amount in the archives.
Funny Farm Drama, comedy, silliness. Wacky, drawn-out plotlines. Unfortunately due to end soon, but there are hints of a sequel.
Goblins Takes place in a D&D universe. (A fact the characters are aware of.) A band of Goblins decide to become active characters, choosing classes and gaining levels. They're on a quest. There is comedy and adventure and an overarching plot which has a planned end.
Faux Pas Adventures of animals on a farm. Particularly a fox who was raised to star in TV commercials. There's a feather-brained chicken, a lot of bunnies, etc. And a wild vixen who doesn't understand the human world but has a romantic interest in the TV fox. And so does her evil half-wild cousin...
Marry Me A comic created in the hopes of becoming a movie. The last strip was just posted a couple of weeks ago. The perfect nice guy goes to a rock concert (a female pop star who is deeper than she first appears) with his lesbian crazy fangirl best friend. She dashes off to the bathroom, leaving him holding a sign...
Planet Karen The daily diary of a goth girl living in Bristol, UK. Sometimes funny, sometimes insightful, sometimes just interesting. She's stopped updating recently. Hopefully things are okay...
Ask Dr. Eldritch Comic made with pictures of posed dolls and action figures, with CG backgrounds. Dr Eldritch is an advice columnist/protector of Earth from supernatural and extradimensional threats. There's a troll living in his basement, a sassy robot, mischievous fairies, all sorts of random stuff. Oh, and a young woman who showed up to answer a newspaper ad about a room he had to sublet with no idea of what she was signing up to live with. Also on the site is Dr. Eldritch's advice column, in which he answers people with unusual questions (such as how to handle inheriting a spooky old mansion or finding a magical portal to a world which expects you to be some kind of hero).
Vicki Fox A sweet young southern vixen and her friends of various species. Very infrequently updated.
Brat-Halla The Norse gods were inexplicably reverted to children.
We The Robots Office cubicle humor/cynicism, but with robots.
Heroes, Inc. Classic video game heroes band together. Made with sprites taken from the actual games.
Dume Random silliness. Small archive, has not been updated for months.
Banished Made by the same guy who does Funny Farm. Sci-fi adventure with a twist of humor.
Order of the Stick Long-running D&D comedy/adventure with stick figures.
Nemi UK newspaper strip about a goth girl and her roommate. Usually fun, with the occasional outstanding gem.
The Dreamland Chronicles Beautifully CG-rendered comic about a college-age boy who can enter Dreamland, a magical realm that some humans can enter in their dreams. Fantasy adventure with a sense of wonder and a dash of romance.
6. Porcini mushrooms are a type of mushroom native to certain parts of Italy. IMHO, they're better than tuffles. Rich earthy flavor that goes great with beef. You can find them dried in some US supermarkets. Reconstitute them in hot water, and you get not only delicious mushrooms, but also a quick mushroom stock.
7. Whirled peas are, as expected, pretty much self-explanatory. A nigh-homophone for "world peace" (which is also on my interests list). Saw the phrase on a bumper sticker, thought it was fun, added it to the list for the heck of it. I am not actually a fan of mushy, blended-up peas (though I know at least one person on my flist enjoys them as a french fry topping). I do, however, sometimes like frozen peas.
hbthomas... Comment on this post. I will choose seven interests from your profile and you will explain what they mean and why you are interested in them. Post this along with your answers in your own journal so others can play along.(Yes, I've done this. But always happy to do it again. :) )
I was asked about:
1. Alton Brown is the host of several Food Network TV shows, including my personal favorite: Good Eats. He explains the science of cooking in fun and nerdy ways. Good food, silliness, and chemistry lessons! What more could you want?
2. Comic Books. (In particular, my subscription list.) I got into them in the early 90's. I'd felt like I should be into them. So, one day, hanging around NY Penn Station, I picked up an issue of X-Men (Issue #32, I believe after some quick browsing) off a newstand. Read it on the train home. And... it was like a four-color soap opera. Which I didn't understand because it was part of a larger story arc. A story arc which focused on Psylocke, a character I'd never heard of before. In particular, a rather confusing chapter of her history involving brainwashing, a body swap, and an impostor.
Despite that experience, I later picked up an issue of Spider-Man of another newstand. I liked it well enough to give subscriptions a shot. And, despite the fact that it was the tail end of the Clone Arc (exactly where a great many long-time fans jumped ship). Smack in the middle of the "Maximum Clonage" storyline. I was confused when Ben Reilly took over as Spider-Man, but, being new to comics, I didn't have a problem with it. I actually liked him and his "updated" costume. I still have a poster of him in my room. Beautifully painted artwork designed to look like a Manhattan window. Ben, in costume, is sticking to the outside of the window, upside-down. Past him, you can see part of the city skyline. And an explosion on the side of a building across the street.
Anyway, I started subscribing to Marvel Direct. Did that for a few years, but got increasingly frustrated with their service. Comics arrived late or not at all, to the point that I could never be sure if I'd missed an issue until the next one arrived. They were good about crediting me when I called up, but still... *sigh*
Eventually, I switched to Jacey Services, which is a small business run by one guy with about two dozen customers. Highly recommended for anyone who regularly buys comics, no matter where you live. With that, I could expand out and start reading some DC stuff. And, eventually, a couple of other titles...
Right now, I'm reading:
Buffy Season 8
Angel After The Fall
DC:
Superman
Action Comics
Supergirl
Batman
Detective Comics
Batgirl
Catwoman
Marvel:
Amazing Spider-Man
Amazing Spider-Girl
Daredevil
Ms. Marvel
She-Hulk
Deadpool
Ultimate Marvel:
Spider-Man
Fantastic Four
X-men
Ultimates
Image:
Invincible
Noble Causes
Firebreather
Gemini
Also:
Atomic Robo
Project Superpowers
Gargoyles
Various miniseries, as they pop up. (I now officially avoid mega-crossovers as much as possible, however.)
Defunct but fondly remembered:
Astro City, Top Ten (there's a new mini out soon, but it's by another author), Hero Squared, Gotham Central, Clockwork Girl
I think that mostly covers it. Happy to answer questions about any or all.
3. Egrets are pretty white birds who live mostly in estuaries (half-saltwater, half-freshwater habitats found in and around the mouths of rivers). Like herons, they're wading birds. There are a good number of them who live on the Gulf Coast of Florida, where we spend some time in the winter. They're just really beautiful, especially in flight.
4. Flolloping. "This is a thing that only live mattresses in swamps are able to do, which is why the word is not in more common usage." From "Life, The Universe, and Everything" - book three of The Hitchhiker's Guide To the Galaxy. You can read the relevant excerpt
here. If you're wondering about live mattresses:
Very few things actually get manufactured these days, because in an infinitely large Universe such as, for instance, the one in which we live, most things one could possibly imagine, and a lot of things one would rather not, grow somewhere. A forest was discovered recently in which most of the trees grew ratchet screwdrivers as fruit. The life cycle of ratchet screwdriver fruit it quite interesting. Once picked it needs a dark dusty drawer in which it can lie undisturbed for years. Then one night it suddenly hatches, discards its outer skin which crumbles into dust, and emerges as a totally unidentifiable little metal object with flanges at both ends and a sort of ridge and a sort of hole for a screw. This, when found, will get thrown away. No one knows what it is supposed to gain from this.
Nature, in her infinite wisdom, is presumably working on it. No one really knows what mattresses are meant to gain from their lives either. They are large, friendly, pocket-sprung creatures which live quiet private lives in the marshes of Squornshellous Zeta. Many of them get caught, slaughtered, dried out, shipped out and slept on. None of them seem to mind and all of them are called Zem.
So, in short... somewhere out there (in the Guide universe, anyway) there's a planet with a species of living mattresses. The mattresses bounce and play in the endless swamps. And just as only a pig in a nice big mud puddle can properly wallow, so it is that only a happy, springy mattress in a swamp can flollop. I can't do it, and odds are rather good that I'll never even see it done. Still, it sounds like fun. And it's a neat little obscure reference to the series. :)
5. Girl Genius Online is one of my favorite webcomics. I first picked it up in graphic novel form, and then found that I could read the whole series for free on the web. Including the stuff that hadn't made it into the ever-more-rarely published books. It's about, as the motto goes, "Adventure! Romance! Mad Science!!" Takes place in a steampunk world. (Kind of retro sci-fi. A romanticized 19th century Europe filled with things like artificially intelligent robots, but built with period hardware - steam engines, gears, and a lot of gleaming metal.) It follows the adventures of Agatha Clay, a young woman who turns out to be a Spark (someone with the "spark" of genius unique to mad scientists). One with an unexpected history and a significant destiny. It's really cool. Check it out.
Other webcomics I read:
Ozy and Millie Two young foxes (a boy and a girl) who are best friends. Sadly, it's due to end soon. But the archives make for a very fun read.
Unshelved Takes place in a local library.
Doonesbury Long-running syndicated newspaper strip. Often very political (US liberal).
Sinfest Recommended by the good people of Unshelved. A short pimp/playa wannabe, the egotistical young hottie he lusts after, and his pot-smoking best friend (who is literally a pig). Also, the Hand of God (talks via hand puppet, sticking up from the clouds), the Devil, a pair of cloyingly sweet angel wannabes, a devil fanboy, a naive book nerd, and, every once in a while, a dog and cat (supposedly?) owned by the artist. Random, sometimes offensive, sometimes low-brow, but often entertaining (sometimes surprisingly so).
Shortpacked Takes place in a toy store. Much silliness. Much toy/fandom humor. A fair number of Batman jokes. A couple of characters have crossed over from the author's long-running strip (which has had several names of the years), currently known as Joyce and Walky. The latter is a subscription comic, but the archives are well worth the read. Starts off with college roommates and their adventures, delves into alien abductions, switches over to focusing on a secret organization dedicated to fighting aliens, and then evolves again into something more of a romance. While keeping its sense of humor the whole time. If you like Shortpacked, it's definitely worth checking out.
Supermegatopia Superhero parody. Adventures of various characters, some of them quite entertaining. Has now become a sporadically updated gallery of superheroine breast gags. All characters are furries (anthropomorphic animals). Partial nudity. I'm not really sure why I keep checking the site, except that there are a few scattered gems amongst the gags. And I guess I'm hoping that one of these days, they'll get back to some of the actual stories. There's also a link to a series of single-panel comics which take place in the World of Warcraft universe, "By Way of Booty Bay."
Newshounds A woman adopts a bunch of dogs, who turn out to have a talent for newscasting. Some gags, some drama, some a-plots.
Breakpoint City Superhero parody adventure. A genius nerd takes a trip forward in time with his dog (who, thanks to a clever little gadget, can talk) and ends up getting super powers in the bargain. Very infrequently updated, but there's a fair amount in the archives.
Funny Farm Drama, comedy, silliness. Wacky, drawn-out plotlines. Unfortunately due to end soon, but there are hints of a sequel.
Goblins Takes place in a D&D universe. (A fact the characters are aware of.) A band of Goblins decide to become active characters, choosing classes and gaining levels. They're on a quest. There is comedy and adventure and an overarching plot which has a planned end.
Faux Pas Adventures of animals on a farm. Particularly a fox who was raised to star in TV commercials. There's a feather-brained chicken, a lot of bunnies, etc. And a wild vixen who doesn't understand the human world but has a romantic interest in the TV fox. And so does her evil half-wild cousin...
Marry Me A comic created in the hopes of becoming a movie. The last strip was just posted a couple of weeks ago. The perfect nice guy goes to a rock concert (a female pop star who is deeper than she first appears) with his lesbian crazy fangirl best friend. She dashes off to the bathroom, leaving him holding a sign...
Planet Karen The daily diary of a goth girl living in Bristol, UK. Sometimes funny, sometimes insightful, sometimes just interesting. She's stopped updating recently. Hopefully things are okay...
Ask Dr. Eldritch Comic made with pictures of posed dolls and action figures, with CG backgrounds. Dr Eldritch is an advice columnist/protector of Earth from supernatural and extradimensional threats. There's a troll living in his basement, a sassy robot, mischievous fairies, all sorts of random stuff. Oh, and a young woman who showed up to answer a newspaper ad about a room he had to sublet with no idea of what she was signing up to live with. Also on the site is Dr. Eldritch's advice column, in which he answers people with unusual questions (such as how to handle inheriting a spooky old mansion or finding a magical portal to a world which expects you to be some kind of hero).
Vicki Fox A sweet young southern vixen and her friends of various species. Very infrequently updated.
Brat-Halla The Norse gods were inexplicably reverted to children.
We The Robots Office cubicle humor/cynicism, but with robots.
Heroes, Inc. Classic video game heroes band together. Made with sprites taken from the actual games.
Dume Random silliness. Small archive, has not been updated for months.
Banished Made by the same guy who does Funny Farm. Sci-fi adventure with a twist of humor.
Order of the Stick Long-running D&D comedy/adventure with stick figures.
Nemi UK newspaper strip about a goth girl and her roommate. Usually fun, with the occasional outstanding gem.
The Dreamland Chronicles Beautifully CG-rendered comic about a college-age boy who can enter Dreamland, a magical realm that some humans can enter in their dreams. Fantasy adventure with a sense of wonder and a dash of romance.
6. Porcini mushrooms are a type of mushroom native to certain parts of Italy. IMHO, they're better than tuffles. Rich earthy flavor that goes great with beef. You can find them dried in some US supermarkets. Reconstitute them in hot water, and you get not only delicious mushrooms, but also a quick mushroom stock.
7. Whirled peas are, as expected, pretty much self-explanatory. A nigh-homophone for "world peace" (which is also on my interests list). Saw the phrase on a bumper sticker, thought it was fun, added it to the list for the heck of it. I am not actually a fan of mushy, blended-up peas (though I know at least one person on my flist enjoys them as a french fry topping). I do, however, sometimes like frozen peas.
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![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
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(Always check for the alt-text. Most strips are less fun without it.)
I'm also kind of in love with Nemi's World.
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The others... eh. Not loltastic, but worth a smile. (No, I don't understand it, either. By all rights, I should think it's the funniest strip ever. I dunno.)
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So, why don't you tell me about...
1. art
2. helen fielding
3. dancing
4. jane austen
5. p.g wodehouse
6. the bitterbynde trilogy
7. travelling
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In Ozzy's case, however, it's quite simple. He's adopted.
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Buffy Season 8
Superman
Action Comics
Daredevil
Ultimate Spider-Man
Invincible
I will check out Girl Genius Online. I really enjoy webcomics, but of your list I've only read Marry Me.
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What else do you read (on the web or otherwise)?
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I also read:
All-Star Superman
Astonishing X-Men (though I'm taking a wait and see on the current arc)
Birds of Prey
Blue Beetle
Green Arrow/Black Canary
Echo
Power Pack
Runaways
Scott Pilgrim
Spider-Man Loves Mary Jane
Wonder Woman (though I'm thinking of dropping it)
For webcomics, I read:
xkcd (I can understand why you don't, though)
Kimono's Townhouse
No Pink Ponies
Wondermark (I ADORE this one)
F Chords (just started it, not sure how I feel yet)
Wonderella
EDIT: Dinosaur Comics, too!
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And no, I can't understand the deal with XKCD, either. By all rights, I should be a huge fan. But, somehow, it just doesn't seem to work for me. I dunno. Just one of those things where chemistry just doesn't happen, I guess. Empirically determined constant. *shrug*
Will have to add the others to my list of comics to check out. Especially Wondermark. I've got a vague feeling about that one...
Anyway, thanks. :)
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Birds of Prey was REALLY awesome during Gail Simone's run. Find the TBP with her name - it's even titled BoP #1, even though Chuck Dixon wrote the first part of the run.
Since Gail left, it's been hit and miss. But it's interesting enough that I'm going to keep holding on a bit longer.
If you haven't found it yet,
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It is a pity about XKCD. I don't really understand it. It just doesn't seem to do much for me. *shrug*
And... you still have the list from last time if you want, but don't worry about it if you're not in the mood.
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and check my updates if you havent in the last, oh, minute or so ;)
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So, does this mean you don't want to do it again? Totally your choice.
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Okay, so how about...
1. Acting stupid
2. Body Art
3. Buddhism
4. Dolphins
5. Fire
6. Grues (as in emeralds?)
7. webcomics
Hopefully, that's not too much overlap with the time before last, because obviously I can't remember back that far.