Thursday, March 17, 2011

Telling Tails Out of School

On bunnies, karaoke, and comics . . .

Do You See the Bunnies??

I'm honored to be a part of Klang's first themed exhibit in downtown Phoenix. The theme is bunnies, and while I had some cool ideas for original work, my recent move to the Garfield District prevented me from getting crafty, so my contribution is a collection, like you'd see at a state fair. Basically, I had some comics and toys about bunnies, but putting them together conjured thoughts I narrated in a bunny-centric bio, which will also be on display. Though not original by way of art I've made, these comics and toys represent a significant part of my life, and to have them affiliated with the beginnings of Klang's life is a thrill. Neil and Heather Gearns are two of the nicest people you'll ever meet (they let me sleep on their floor not too long ago, technically my first attempt at downtown living -- and I obviously liked it enough to stick around), not to mention, the Gearns are incredibly talented, too, so please check out the gallery and its contributors' efforts. They'd love to hear what you have to say! That's right -- hop to it! They're all ears!

*****

Shirts So Good





A fellow comic book fan recently gave me a hard time for wearing more Marvel Comics T-shirts than DC Comics T-shirts. I hadn't noticed, actually, and was genuinely surprised by the personal trend, because I'm more of a DC fan.

After some thought, though, I've decided I like the way Marvel heroes look more than DC's stable of icons. Just look at these pictures of the Justice League and the Avengers. The Leaguers are all tights, chest emblems, belts, underwear, and the occasional cape. The Avengers are a bit more dynamic -- Iron Man's suit, Hulk's pseudo-nudism, Thor's godly garb. Sure, the capes and tights are there, too, but the core members are quite diverse and frankly more fun to look at.

Further, Marvel's costumes are critical to their characters' origins and motives; if he hadn't invented his Iron Man armor, Tony Stark would've died! Spider-man's suit was first his wrestling garb, to make money from his powers. The Hulk . . . well, he rips his clothes off. You get the point. In Marvel's universe, the clothes definitively make the hero. Half of the Justice League don't even wear masks! Superman, Wonder Woman, Aquaman, Black Canary -- are they even trying to have a secret identity?

Bottom line: DC may have the most iconic characters, but Marvel has better costumes. So, they make better shirts. Good clothes make good clothes. That just makes sense.

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