 |
| From Sensation Comics #38, 1945. Happy holidays! |
Showing posts with label wonder woman. Show all posts
Showing posts with label wonder woman. Show all posts
Tuesday, December 17, 2013
Tuesday, September 3, 2013
Wednesday, August 7, 2013
.jpg)
Thursday, July 4, 2013
Sunday, June 16, 2013
My favorite memories of my dad
 |
| Wonder Woman #25, the 1st comic book I ever bought, 1988. |
my fondest memories with my dad are of our bi-weekly trips to the comic book store in the late ’80s through the ’90s. early in my childhood I would read dad’s old DC and marvel comics over and over, but i loved using my allowance to purchase comics of my own. my love of comic books initially inspired me to draw, later paint, enroll in art school and study abroad, and eventually become an art teacher. thanks, dad!
happy father’s day to all of the dads who deserve to celebrate!
Saturday, June 1, 2013
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
Wake up, everybody
 |
| Panel from Wonder Woman #4, 1987. |
my love and support goes out to all the victims of this tragic event.
The world won't get no better if we just let it be. The world won't get no better. We gotta change it yeah, just you and me. - Teddy Pendergrass w/ Harold Melvin & the Blue Notes, Wake Up Everybody, 1976
Monday, April 1, 2013
Random comic book panel of the month
 |
| Wonder Woman #129, by Robert Kanigher, Ross Andru, & Mike Eposito, 1962. |
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Graphic novel review
of all the revisions of dc comics' iconic heroes with its "new 52" launch, i was most interested in wonder woman. the book opens with apollo, god of the sun, coercing his oracles into searching out the whereabouts of his missing father, zeus, king of the gods. the story quickly picks up when hermes, god of messengers, appears in rural virginia, to defend a young woman from centaur assassins. the young woman is teleported to london for safe keeping and apparently the home of wonder woman! the famous amazon princess and young woman, named zola, return to virginia and the super heroine makes quick work of zola's enemies. hermes reveals that hera, zeus' husband, sent the centaurs to kill zola because she's pregnant with the son of zeus! meanwhile, apollo watches all that transpires from afar, plotting his own campaign to slaughter the apparent new heir of zeus.
wonder woman soon finds she and zola share something in common, both women are connected to zeus, and their fate becomes tied together with factions of godly foes plotting their demise because of their involvement in olympian affairs. wonder woman's world is turned upside down when she realizes her mother, queen of the amazons, had planted a lie long ago to protect the princess from the envious hera. the queen of olympus enacts vengeance on the amazons when wonder woman teleports to london with zola and hermes. princess diana returns to the island home of her past too late and discovers her mother and sisters transformed in a poignant and dramatic scene that serves as a one of the book's most climatic moments.
the brilliance of brian azzarello's writing, is that he finds a great balance of drama and action between so many intriguing characters. the soap opera of the olympian gods is brought to the modern world in such an excellent fashion that fans of comic books, reality tv, or even romance novels can all appreciate. though the 'witty' dialogue became slightly tiresome as if it were trying too hard to be smart.
a particular favorite character is strife, daughter of hera and sister of apollo. she's the villain you love to hate, taking neither side of a conflict, rather instigating all parties to suit her twisted desires. strife proves to be the perfect foil for princess diana who continually attempts to be the peace maker and leveled headed heroine one would expect. i can relate to this version of wonder woman, who righteously believes she knows what she's doing, but may not quite have a handle on events out of her control. we could all learn a thing or two from wonder woman.
the art fits the story with it's crisp and contemporary look by the book's main artist, cliff chiang. unfortunately, chiang does not pencil/ink the entire novel, and though tony akins admirably steps in to complete the last two chapters, his version of wonder woman is hideous. their designs of strife, hades, poseidon, and hermes could very well become iconic in the mythology of world of wonder woman and are probably the most outstanding aspect of, Wonder Woman: Blood.
the characters of the novel run the narrative, but not wonder woman herself. very rarely do we get a glimpse into the amazon princess' thoughts, though this changes slowly as the book progresses. what's obvious is that wonder woman is very much an outsider in the world beyond the shores of paradise island, but even among the amazons. wonder woman stands up for the little guy or girl and believes they deserve a chance to rise, that much is clear. i wish more time had been spent on getting to know wonder woman instead of introducing character after character (despite how much i like them). in the end, Blood is still fun modern take on the iconic super heroine.
Friday, March 15, 2013
You think you know me? Maybe you have no idea!
 |
| Steven & Troia, 2011 |
1. my parents are christian missionaries (or as i've coined them, "jesus freaks"), but have had a multitude of careers in my lifetime. my favorites would be the owners of tae kwon do dojo and aerobic studios.
2. i became obsessed with wonder woman when i discovered her through my dad's old comic book collection and when i saw reruns of the tv show starring, lynda carter. the amazing amazon embodied strength, beauty, charm, wit, intelligence, humor, and compassion -- even for enemies -- something i've carried through all my life.
3. comic books brought me all over the world. it's true! based on the comic books i read from the '70s and '80s, i would draw my own comics and started taking art classes, then later going to art school, inspiring me to study abroad.
4. my mother had a brain aneurism when i was two years old. i was sitting behind her in the car when her brain just -- switched off. i still remember the thud her head made against the passenger seat window. i also remember seeing her again after surgery weeks later, a beautiful woman with no hair, but i was afraid to approach her outstretched arms.
5. i have a minor in nutrition. my reasoning for the degree was i wanted a backup if i ever got bored with the whole 'art thing'.
6. a former professor and dear friend took me under her wing and appointed me her intern/apprentice while she taught at the paris college of art. i learned so much about the world in those 3 months, traveling to other parts of europe on long weekends and holidays. i was devastated when my professor, a transgender woman, hysterical storyteller, fashionista, talented artist, and raging alcoholic, took her own life. there was a gaping hole in my soul for a long time.
7. my dog and two cats are among my most favorite people in the world. yes, you read that correctly.
8. i resisted becoming a teacher for a long time because my parents always said i would make a great teacher. so, of course, i couldn't be a teacher! but after life as a starving artist got old, i went back to school and became certified to teach visual art. turns out i love teaching!
9. my first degree is in studio art, focus on drawing and painting. that means i also studied ceramics, sculpting, art history, and printmaking for four years plus years. art education came later and became my real passion.
10. i was hit by a tour bus on a cross walk and thrown 10 feet, but survived with only a few scraps, bruises, and internal bleeding -- no gaping wounds or broken bones!
Tuesday, March 12, 2013
Update: I'm a survivor, 1 year later
 | |
| Art by Ross Andru & Mike Esposito, 1967. |
I'm a survivor
days later i had a wonderful birthday with friends, made all the more special after realizing i had a second chance at life. unfortunately, the following afternoon i was rushed to the er again! apparently my spleen had been discreetly bleeding and poisoning my other organs and it would be nearly 2 months before i was able to return to the things i enjoy like walking the dog, jogging, or teaching. in all i was hidden away from the world for an entire 12 weeks.
my life has returned to its standard craziness, though i still endure headaches and severe back pain from time to time. i'm told these symptoms of the accident may never completely go away. i've learned to cope and to listen to my body better. if it tells me i need to stay in for the night, i will. if the body feels like it needs a break, then i'll skip a workout. in the end, i think this accident was a way for the universe telling me to slow down, appreciate what it is i have in my life. and i maintain to do just that.
love to all of my wonderful friends and supporters. you make every moment of life worthwhile. the love and encouragement pushes me to do my best at home, in the classroom, or in the studio. thank you!
a special shout out to mrs. mary lou morse, joseph holladay, and barbara binkowski who have done more for me than one could ever imagine. x
Friday, March 1, 2013
Thursday, February 14, 2013
Monday, January 7, 2013
Recognizing a "pioneer of television"
 |
| Lynda Carter, The New Adventures of Wonder Woman, 1974 |
Read more here, Pioneers of Television.
To read how i met my icon, read, My Moment of a Lifetime.
Tuesday, January 1, 2013
Thursday, December 27, 2012
Graphic novel review
Justice League: Origin, by geoff johns and jim lee
reintroducing the justice league to new and old generations of comic book fans is no easy task, but johns and lee do so in a fun and exciting tale that occurs five years prior to current continuity. from the start, it's apparent that these 'new' heroes are inexperienced, especially when it comes to teamwork. the general populace is terrified of superheroes, many outlawed, and batman, green lantern, the flash, and wonder woman are under suspicion of local and national authorities. on top of it all, personalities clash between the heroes as a galactic despot comes to earth unleashing his demonic army on earth!
each hero has his/her moment to shine, but none more so than batman and green lantern. the dark and emerald knights seem to get more panel time than any other leaguer, with the exception of cyborg whose origin coincides with the formation of the team. batman and green lantern may be the most 'human' of superheroes of the justice league and why johns chose to use these two in particular to further the story. that's not to say johns doesn't take care introducing each character as the battle between the forces of good and evil continues to escalate. besides the over the top intense action, it's these calmer moments between characters, like government agent steve trevor and wonder woman, that really make this book shine. i especially like the humor that comes through, even when the odds seem insurmountable against earth's protectors. there's also a chapters worth of extras that provides back stories on the members of the justice league, adding to the price of admission!
unfortunately, there are a few glaring flaws with this novel. my biggest complaint would be the lack of explanation towards darkseid's motivation of his attack of our planet. i also would have appreciated finding out more about this villain, besides his powers, technology, and horde of creatures, where does he come from? instead we're left with more questions.
also, being a huge long-time fan of wonder woman, i was frankly disgusted that the amazing amazon was treated as a xena, warrior princess, copycat, eager to do battle no matter what the cost. this portrayal seems degrading to a character known for making friends out of her foes, battling only as a last resort.
Justice League: Origin is a fast paced adventure of seven strangers and ultimately creates the most famous team in comic book history in classic style with good storytelling and illustrations. there's plenty of action, thrills, laughs, and even a little romance thrown in. this graphic novel not only proves to be a great introduction to the justice league, but to the entire dc comics universe.
Sunday, December 9, 2012
Thursday, November 1, 2012
Tuesday, October 2, 2012
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)