Happy halloween 2012!

i'm hosting my annual schlock horror movie fest as i do almost every year, but this year i've extended it in three parts because of moving and the hurricane that slammed the east coast. i choose different movies every year and mix genuine classics with b and c horror films for sh*ts and giggles. the following list is what friends and i viewed for 2012. part 3 happens tonight, halloween, with much merriment in store!

 1. feardot.com is a slick atmospheric film with tons of artistic imagery that's meant for lots of shock, but with little effect. the story has an interesting premise as those who log onto a website with reality-tv style torture become infected with madness until they finally kill themselves in brutal fashions. the police discover the website is possessed by a ghost asking for help.

2. The Werewolf vs Vampire Woman is an early '70s spanish film that's actually a little scary where the werewolf must play the hero and defeat a vampire queen who's wiping out a small village before destroying himself (with help from his one true love, of course).

3. The Gorgon is one of my all-time favorite hammer horror classic films. the movie starts out horrifying as the mystery of who is possessed of the spirit of a gorgon from greek mythology plays through up until the very end. then, unfortunately, the monster shows up and she's well ...

4. The Excorcist 3 has some genuinely terrifying moments and plays as a more direct sequel to the original Exorcist film. george c. scott's performance is exceptional as the detective trying to figure what's real and what's beyond the realm of norm.

5. possibly my favorite film from hitchcock, the film starts out slow, then quickly attacks the viewer as a small new england village is overrun with birds out to take over and put humans in their proper place.

 6. horrible acting! lame special effects! sad, sad music! but the crazy story of a young waitress trying to make it big drew me in. when she finally gets her dream wedding, she should have remembered those who supported her because the "freaks" or her husband's traveling circus  seek revenge.

7. much of the same, but with an '80s twist has a a witch return from the dead of modern time and start slaughtering the decedents of her killers in some unique ways. the sexy (and slutty) sorceress has a city of followers beneath new york city and plans on opening a gateway of hell -- because she can. or can she?

 8. zombies! voodoo! (sort of) beautiful women! what's not to love? i do enjoy that andre morell, who plays sir james forbes, is an over 60 hero who shows that age means nothing when battling the undead.

Superheroes of color

How has the media progressed with positive role models of color? I want your opinion - please check out my post on SWart Studio. I'll be using the collected information for a lesson on comic books, world issues, and popular culture. Thank you!

I danced and sang (horribly) with bananarama

the culmination of my love affair with the music of bananarama for over twenty years came last night when sara dallin and keren woodward performed at the hardrock cafe in boston! my fiance, joe, arrived early without my knowing and spoke to the fabulous dayna brunelli, head of marketing for the hardrock. joe explained my long time love of the 'nanas and dayna gave us vip seating for the show! we were so close to the stage! s & k performed 13 songs and invited audience members for their venus number!

 sara recognized me out of the crowd (we tweet back and forth occasionally) and pointed to keren who pulled me on stage. unfortunately i had had one too many drinks. being vip we had easy access to the bar, joe had already had one (or two) while waiting for me and I was doing my best to catch up. that combined with my obvious exuberance i was a complete ass -- or adorable dork -- depending on who you ask. while i'm sure people in the audience that i spoke to were just being kind by saying how much fun i was, i saw the video of the performance that joe recorded and well, i wish someone would have politely shoved me to a far corner. instead, keren offered me center stage, which i graciously took, and began to maniacally mimic the routine to the song from the famous video.  i'm also a notorious klutz so of course i bumped into keren's mic stand and then sara's. the humanity! bananarama are true professionals and rolled with it continuing on with the show without pause.

 the show itself was everything i could have hoped for and more. the girls performed many of their classics and several of their modern day hits. i was also pleased to get to know several fellow 'nana fans in the audience. we had a great time singing and dancing! the bouncer guarding the stage was kind enough to slip the girls my copy of the special 30th anniversary edition of the fan magazine, true confessions, which k & s signed. i will treasure it always.

while i wish i hadn't been such a messy drunk, i am glad i was able to see bananarama perform again here in the states. and yes, someone posted a video of my idiocy on youtube. hopefully people will only see the gorgeous women of bananarama and the army of fans, not the fool in the front trying to work the crowd.

*sigh* keren, sara -- if you ever read this, i am SO sorry, but thank you for such an incredibly fun time! i assure you i'm much cooler, you know, when i'm not being a total (drunk) groupie. x

somehow i slipped from singing "venus" into "love in the 1st degree".

keren showed me how to really shake my hips.

Random comic book panel of the month

Wonder Woman #231, 1977

A proud teacher

"untitled", 3'x4', acrylic on canvas, 2012 - student collaboration

i enjoy being an art teacher for many reasons. often times i feel like the fun uncle imparting important life lessons to help in the development of younger generations, but allowed to send them home after a brief visit. other times it's the sheer excitement of seeing a 12 or 13 year old bursting with imagination and excitement over an assignment. while some posts overlap both blogs, that's not always the case. check out what goes on in my studio classroom at, Art Class With Mr. Wilber.

Looking back: the 'new' wonder woman

cover of Wonder Woman #5

it's been a year since dc comics debuted an all-new universe of heroes. at the forefront was the publisher's icon, wonder woman. after several issues of the new Wonder Woman series and appearances in Justice League, i wrote an in depth blog about my thoughts of the changes to the amazing amazon. after much development i've decided to follow up on this.

long-time fans of wonder woman remain divided over the new princess diana of paradise island. gone is the ambassador of peace, rather we have a younger, slightly more naive, warrior who is searching for her place in the world after growing up on an island where she never completely fit in. in the meantime she started and quickly ended a romance with the first man she ever met, steve trevor. diana has also found herself embroiled in family drama just as she discovered that her father was zeus, king of the gods of olympus. wonder woman immediately found herself embroiled in battles and schemes against her uncles poseidon and hades, half siblings, apollo and artemis, and zeus' wife, the goddess hera. overall it's been an exciting year for the princess.

page from Justice League  #12

a year ago i was frustrated that the wonder woman in Wonder Woman and in Justice League were two completely separate characters, but over time as continuity between the titles began to build, there seemed to be more cohesion. diana has been portrayed as a powerful heroine, strong enough to take on gods and the heroes of the justice league (due to manipulations of a powerful foe). more importantly, wonder woman is indeed an exceptionally loving individual. this is a trait that has been defined as the character's greatest strength in the past. writers brian azzarello and geoff johns have each highlighted this in their own way. whether it be wonder woman ending her relationship with the mortal trevor to protect him from further harm, standing as guardian to a stranger who apparently bears zeus' new heir, or diana promising to marry the god of the underworld because, in part, she pitied him. recently in an unexpected twist revealed in Wonder Woman #0, diana is not the arch enemy of ares, god of war. rather the war god served as her teacher in her youth until she refused to kill her enemies. this is the reason i love wonder woman so much. she may be the most powerful woman physically, but the amazing amazon is also the most kind, loving, and open minded soul. no longer directly teaching her beliefs as a foreign diplomate, wonder woman still educates those who get to know her, a mark of a true hero for the twenty-first century. that being said, unfortunately, not everything about the new wonder woman has me jumping for joy.

there's the major revelation that the amazons are siren like murderers every three hundred years. if this is true, it demeans their (once) cultured and peaceful nature. i preferred the amazons as warriors of peace. the reasons for diana leaving washington d.c. and living in london have not been disclosed and there's no explanation as to what the amazon does in her free time. why doesn't she have a secret identity? also, to date, none of the well-known wonder woman rogues, other than ares, have received the updated treatment. wonder woman's patron goddesses no longer seem directly involved in the young amazon's life. shameful! as is the lack of women in the supporting cast or circle of friends around the princess. and i'm still not a fan of the silver over gold with the uniform. minor complaints when my more major concerns have been addressed. judging by the way wonder woman's first year ended with an eminent war between pantheons about to erupt and a new romance with superman, the man of steel, i'm more than excited to continue the journey.

wonder woman appears monthly in Wonder Woman and Justice League and is guest-starring in Batwoman for the next few issues. visit DCComics.com to learn more. 

a dramatic moment in Justice League #10.

I just can't get them out of my system!

a promo shot for bananaram's US tour and new EP, Now or Never.

celebrating thirty years of success, bananarama is coming to the united states for an eight city tour running the length of october. i am very excited that keren and sara are coming to boston! i haven't seen the 'nanas perform since '89, during their first world tour. i was turning nine the day after the concert, but i had been ill for over a week with pneumonia. still, the day of the show my health vastly improved and my mom allowed my aunt to take me. between sheer excitement and exhaustion i ended up falling asleep mid-event and missed most of the concert. i was so bummed! this is my chance to relive and make up for what i may have missed. the girls will also be promoting their new EP, Now or Never.

for more of my love of sara and keren, check out my other bananarama related blogs.

Happy birthday to my best best friend!

catching some rays after a long jog.

 my best best friend, troia, the amazing amazon mutt, turns ninety-one today. this wonderful collie/labrador retriever has been with me all thirteen years of her life and shared my triumphs and struggles, always with big loving brown eyes and a wagging tail.  troia has been my pride and joy and continues to amaze me each and every day with her youthful enthusiasm and calm patience. i love her more than anyone!

car ride!

a favorite summer activity with aunt sis!

 

sometimes the amazon mutt get a little tired of all the hugs.

Quote

Be the change you want to see in the world. - Gandhi

Latest work in progress

"Welcoming Imagination", 3'x4', oil on bulletin board, 2012

my latest work in progress is a commercial piece, a welcome sign. it's been a process to work on my art with so much teaching, but this is slowly coming together. i only have a few days to get it right. the deadline is fast approaching!