Popcorn Picnic

Not enough geekiness in your life? Here y'go.

Thursday, May 04, 2006

United 93

So. United 93. I don't have much left to say about it. If you haven't yet read my review, do so, then come back and read on.

The truth is, I have an almost endless supply of things to say about United 93, 9/11, the Bush administration, and what's gone on in this country over the last few years, but I boiled the essentials down into this week's angry tirade of a comic. The one thing I didn't talk about that I'd like to address here, however, is my reason for inserting my "Author Popitorial" into the comic this week.

If I ever do draw myself into the strip again, I won't depict myself in such a realistic way. I'll do it more like Jeffrey Rowland does with Overcompensating, and create a mutated, wacky versions of my life. Doing it that way allows you to talk about real life stuff without boring the crap out of people. Who gives a shit if you had peas for dinner! But if the peas all had lightsabers, and they fought the whole way down, well, that's interesting. That's why I came up with the Popcorn Picnic approach to movie "reviews" in the first place. Who the hell cares what I think? What Marlon Brando thinks, though? I dunno about you, but I sure wish I knew what ol' Marlon was thinking. And I mean EVER.

Anyway, I decided this particular, exceptional strip not only allowed me to write my own loud-mouthed opinion, it demanded it! The one point I don't get into in the strip -- at least in so many words -- is the general apathy we citizens of the U.S. have shown towards doing or saying anything critical of our government since 9/11. Call it patriotism if you like, but calling a dog a turtle don't give it a shell. I mean, we friggin' impeached our last president because he gunked up a woman's dress -- a woman who wasn't "asking for it," but who was TOTALLY into the gunking -- and then tried to hide it. President Bush, though, our current president? What'd he try to hide? Um, uh, just prisoner abuse. No biggie. Oh, and torture. Whatever. And, um, wiretapping. Ho-hum. Also, the jailing of pretty much anyone who could possibly be associated with terrorism in the slightest way. Snore. In Cuba. Zzzzz. In poor conditions. Ho-hum. Without charging 'em. Hm. Indefinitely. Hey! How 'bout them Cubs?

What. The. FUCK?! President Clinton lies about a few BJs y'all KNOW Hillary was okay with and gets impeached, but President Bush lies about beating the shit out of war prisoners and putting 'em on leashes and all he gets is a low approval rating and an in-his-face scolding from Stephen Colbert -- which was brilliant, by the way. Haven't seen it? Oh, man. You gotta.

PART 1 : PART 2 : PART 3

By the way, it's a good thing they nailed that stupid girl who was holding that Iraqi prisoner's leash, 'cause I'm pretty sure she was actually responsible for the whole thing.

Anyway, I offered my direct opinion in this week's strip because if there's any time people should be worried and critical and loud about abuse of privilege, it's when there's a war going on. People in power think all crazy when there's a war. Actions that are awfuller than awful start to look justified -- means to various ends. But you know what?

They're NOT.

They're still AWFUL.

:C

Tuesday, May 02, 2006

Nigel Strangelove

One thing I forgot to mention about our new buddy Nigel Billingsley: the last panel of his first comic is inspired by one of my all-time favorite movies, Dr. Strangelove or: How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Specifically, the line of dialogue, which was originally spoken by Peter Sellers as Group Captain Lionel Mandrake.



Ah, Stanley Kubrick. What happened, man?*

:C

*Note: The reviews of Eyes Wide Shut as posted on both the IMDB and Rotten Tomatoes does not match my own. Nuh-UNH.