Sometimes I Feel Like a Superhero

In case you didn't know, I'm a comic book fan.  More specifically, a superhero fan.  Most superhero origin stories start with the hero discovering their powers.

If you've seen Spiderman, you might remember him trying to figure out how to shoot his web and swing from the rooftops.  Or maybe Iron Man learning to fly in his new suit.

I know this sounds like a crazy, over the top exaggeration, but sometimes that's how I feel.  I admit that I didn't get bitten by a radioactive spider and wake up the next morning with the ability to climb walls, and I'm not learning to fly a new mechanical suit.  But what I am doing is exploring all the things my "new" body can do.  Here are some examples:

1)  Walk up stairs without gasping for breath
2)  Bend over and tie my shoes
3)  Scratch my own back
4)  Run

It's funny, because I'm still discovering what I can do all the time.  On the flip side, there are still things I can't do that I have as goals.  Because I like lists, here are some things I'd like to be able to do, but can't yet:

1)  Scale a climbing wall
2)  Do a real, good form, pushup
3)  Chin-ups
4)  Run a 5K without any walking

I guess I'm still just a superhero-in-training.

Top 10 Superhero Movies

Okay, below are my picks for my Top 10 Superhero Movies. There's only one restriction: to make the list, the superheroes in the movies had to have been in a comic book first. Which means, unfortunately, that The Incredibles cannot be on the list. Sorry.

Also, a reminder: these are just my favorites. Not the "best", or "highest earning". Just the ones I like the most. Without much more ado, here we go:

10) Watchmen (2009/R)

If you're not a comic fan, I don't recommend this movie. In fact, if you've never read the comic, I don't recommend this movie. It's a great adaptation of the comic, and it's got some incredible visuals. It really does. That being said, it's the only (R) movie on my list. It has some pretty gratuitous violence and sex, as well as some pretty adult themes.

To be honest with you, I actually enjoyed one of the early trailers as much as the actual movie. You can watch it here if you want. I think it's the haunting Smashing Pumpkins song that makes the trailer cool.

9) The Dark Knight (2008/PG-13)

I know this movie probably tops a lot of people's lists. It's a really good movie. I also appreciate Heath Ledger's incredible performance. But my list is a list of favorite superHERO movies. To me, The Dark Knight almost felt like a superVILLAIN movie. The focus was so much on the Joker that I didn't enjoy it as much as some other people did.

Another complaint of mine was that it really felt like a couple of movie stuck together. (SPOILER) To me, once Gordon is revealed to not really be dead and they capture the Joker, it feels like the end of the movie. But wait! We still have another 40 minutes with a lot more dark and demented stuff for you to see.

I don't know. I wouldn't want to give the impression that I didn't like it, because I did, but it's definitely not in my top 5. Actually, I guess technically it's my #9.

8) X-Men - (2000/PG-13)

I've been an X-Men fan for years. I thought this movie did a great job of really bringing the characters to life. And how about that cast? Patrick Stewart? Ian McKellen? Really? How did they manage that? It just really made the movie, having some heavy-weight talent. And the rest of the cast weren't slouches either. (Except for Sabretooth.)

Also, this movie was (in my mind), the first of the latest generation of superhero movies. Before this movie, you had the original runs of Superman and Batman movies, and that was pretty much it. When this movie exploded, Hollywood woke up and realized that superheroes were still bankable, and were the new action stars. Geek was the new sheik.

7) Spider-man (2002/PG-13)

Great superhero movie. Nice origin story. Good villain. A little romance. What's not to like?

6) X2 (2003/PG-13)

Like the original X-Men, but better. Had some absolutely cool scenes. Magneto escaping from the plastic prison. Wolverine defending the kids at the school. And for the geeks, our first glimpse of Colossus and a hint at Phoenix.

5) Superman (1978/PG)

The original iconic superhero movie. The special effects are 1978 special effects. It's a little corny at spots. But...it's Christopher Reeves. IT'S SUPERMAN! C'mon! Thirty-two years later, it's still an awesome movie.

4) Batman Begins (2005/PG-13)

The first Batman (1989) didn't make my list, even though it was very close. I almost included it in place of The Dark Knight, but decided against it. The Batman franchise really floundered, in my opinion, after the first one. Thanks to Batman Begins (in spite of Katie Holmes) Batman was revived with Batman Begins.

I loved how this movie really fleshed out the Batman origin story past "his parents got shot". You learn where all his skills come from, his psychological and moral motivations. Great movie, start to finish (except for Katie Holmes). With a cast like Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Michael Caine, and Morgan Freeman, I could have directed this movie and got it right!

3) Spider-man 2 (2004/PG-13)

Unless you just can't stand Spider-man, then you have to like this movie. Alfred Molina does an incredible job as Dr. Otto Octavius (Dr. Octopus). I'm not a big fan of the "I don't want to be a hero anymore" part of the movie, but there are several other scenes that easily make up for it.

The entire scene from the clock tower battle all the way through the fight on the train and Spider-man stopping the train is golden. I love the part where the evil doctor throws the car through the diner window and Spider-man grabs M.J. and dives out of the way to save her just in time.

The scene at the end where Dr. Octopus redeems himself is especially well done.

2) Iron Man (2008/PG-13)

Robert Downey, Jr. is Tony Stark. I'm a Jon Favreau fan, and I think he did a great job on this movie. I love the look of it, the story, the effects, everything. To me this is the quintessential superhero movie. Serious, but not too dark. Humorous at times, but not campy. The final fight scene was a little weak in my opinion, and that's the only thing that kept it out of the #1 slot. I think people that haven't ever even heard of Iron Man would really like this movie.

1) Mystery Men (1999/PG-13)

Right now, unless I've loaned (forced you to watch) this movie, then you are probably saying to yourself, "Mystery Men? What's that?"

How do I describe it? Let's see...how's about we start with the cast.

This movie is about a bunch of "wannabe" superheroes.

Ben Stiller as "Furious" - he gets mad...that's his power

William H. Macy as "The Shovelor" - he fights with a shovel

Janeane Garofolo as "The Bowler" - she uses a bowling ball containing the skull of her father

Kel Mitchell as "Invisible Boy" - he can turn invisible...as long as no one looks at him

Hank Azaria as "The Blue Raja" - he throws silverware...but not knives

Paul Reubens as "The Spleen"...you don't want to know his power

Round out this cast with Greg Kinnear as "Captain Amazing", the city's one true superhero, and Geoffrey Rush as "Casanova Frankenstein", the villain of the movie.

I will admit, this movie is an acquired taste for some. My wife loves it now that she's seen it a few times. Not so much on her first viewing. But there are so many hilarious scenes in the movie, I can't even begin to do them justice. Just watch it for yourself. If you can get past the first fifteen minutes of the movie, and buy into the world that they've created, I think you'll enjoy it.

This movie stands alone. It's in a class all by itself, and that's why it tops my list.

-----

I would have loved to put Unbreakable on the list, but again...didn't start in comics, even though it does have comics in it. The Matrix is another (pseudo-)superhero movie that is great, but unfortunately didn't qualify for this list.

What do you think? What movie did I miss? Agree with me? Disagree? Still with me at the end of the list long posting? Thanks!

A Little Test

A few months ago, I mentioned comic books in one of my posts, and how I've always been a fan. These days, it's okay to like superheros. In fact, a huge portion of the movie industry is now geared around that. It's no secret that the Spiderman, X-Men (Wolverine), Iron Man, and the most recent two Batman movies have been big hits.

So, with superheroes taking on a even bigger role in popular culture, I thought I would do a little quiz. In the first list, tell me the real name of the superhero. The second list, do just the opposite. Which superhero is it? I'll try take make each list start easy and get harder. That way you can gauge your level of geek-ness. I've also made sure that they've all appeared in movies. So, it's possible to know them all and to have never read a single comic. Here we go!


1. Superman
2. Spiderman
3. Daredevil
4. Ghost Rider
5. Beast

Bonus 1: Magneto

-----

A. Bruce Wayne
B. Bruce Banner
C. Tony Stark
D. Johnny Storm
E. Scott Summers

Bonus 2: Wade Wilson


Have fun. I expect only a small percentage of people to get them all (without the help of Google, of course).

Like My Lunchbox?

Last year, on November 20th, I celebrated my 15th wedding anniversary (as did my wife). I am not one of those guys that jokes about "the ole ball-and-chain", etc. I know how incredibly blessed I am to be married to the woman that I am incredibly blessed to be married to. ( That last sentence was on purpose. I'm that incredibly blessed.)

Anyway, my incredible blessing of a wife got me a great present last year for our anniversary. A lunchbox. But not just any lunchbox. No! It's a Captain America lunchbox! It's awesome.

Now to answer the obvious question. Do I carry it to work? You bet I do. Usually it contains some chips, a sandwich, maybe some yogurt. It can hold all kinds of great things. After all, it is a lunchbox.

Now here's the interesting thing. At least, interesting to me. In high school, even Jr. high, I would never, EVER, have been seen carrying a lunchbox like this. I was way too worried about being cool. Well...trying to be cool. I never actually managed it.

I was in the worst of situations. I was a smart, slightly (at the time) overweight kid that ended up excelling in band of all things. I collected comic books, read a lot, played D&D and Risk, and loved computers when computers weren't yet cool. (I am sure I would have been picked on more if I wasn't bigger than most of my teachers.)

Of course, NONE of this was mentioned at school. Most of my best friends were nerds, but, of course, being the lame, self-conscious, peer-aware person that I was, I tried not to associate too much with them at school. (one of the few things I truly regret from high school.) I was too busy trying to impress the "cool kids". I know it sounds like an After School special, but it's true. It wasn't the "cool kid's" fault. They didn't know that the very reason I often acted like a jerk and a dweeb was because I was trying hard not to act like a geek and a nerd.

Then I went to college. Something happened. Suddenly, I was immersed in a culture where the things that I did best (musically, scholastically) were highly esteemed. My peer group respected me.

Then something else happened. I became a Christian. I had always sort of considered myself a Christian, but had never really read the Bible or felt like God had any active participation in my life. (But that's an entirely different story.) One of the changes this brought in my life was a sense of freedom. I was no longer worried about what other people thought. I was able to be myself.

Interestingly enough, I found out I liked me. And strangely enough, other people did, too. I found that I had a gift for making friends and hospitality. You might ask, "You?" Yep, me.

I discovered that my quirks are what makes me who I am. I love comic books. I wear shorts in the winter. I love to laugh at really stupid movies. I get loud sometimes. I say what's on my mind. I love people and really mean it when I tell them, "The first time at my house you're a guest, if you come back, you're family." When I tell people, "Come to Atlanta, you can stay at our house," I sincerely hope they will.

What you see is what you get. The guy sitting in the cubicle next to you singing the Speed Racer theme song? That's me. If it bothers you, I'll stop, but I'm not embarrassed to be doing it. I've embraced my geek-ness and idiosyncrasies, and I'm loving life.

Do you like my lunchbox? I do.

Reflections

The title's not talking about looking back to the past. It's referring to how our kids are such reflections of us.

My (almost) three-year-old son brought me one of my videos of the The Tick and asked if we could watch it. I told him that we could watch it as soon as I finished the blog that I was writing for Father's Day. Below is his reply. Verbatim.

"Okay! That would be a perfect plan! Fantastic!!"

Oh, where does he get such a flair for the dramatic? Gee...I don't know.

It's Just Some Comic Books

When I was 9 years old, my family became friends with a family named the Sweets. They had a son named Woody who was a couple of years older than me. He collected comic books, so I started collecting comic books.

I loved to read, and I already had quite a few comics, but the idea of collecting them was new to me. Woody introduced me to price guides, correct storage and handling, etc. I wanted to collect everything, but that of course was impossible, so I decided to focus on my favorite: The Avengers.

The Avengers had all the greatest heroes: Iron Man, Captain America, Ant Man, Thor, The Wasp, and more. Of course, the Avengers also included The Vision, who was my favorite.

After I had been collecting for a year or two, my family took a trip to a large flea market/trade day/swap meet in Pearland, Texas. It just so happened, one of the permanent stores at this location was a comic shop! Wahoo!! Comic books!

In this comic shop, like most, comics were organized alphabetically by title, starting from the lowest numbered issue and going forward. When we entered the store, I went straight for the Avengers, and started looking through the most recent issues. I only had a few dollars with me, and I knew I could get more book for my buck by buying the newer issues, which are usually the least expensive.

So, as I was looking through the 150's and 160's, my dad walked up and started looking through the box to my left. He pulled out a comic and laid it on the box.

"Do you have this one?"

I glanced over, it was Avengers issue number 23!

"No sir," I said, thinking to myself, "Of course not, Dad, that's number 23!" At that time, my oldest issue was number 127. I went back to sorting through the 150s: 152...need it...153...got it.

"Do you have this one?" He had laid issue 24 on top of 23.

"No sir."

Okay...154...got it...155...got it.

"How about this one?"

Issue 26. Now I started to get suspicious.

"No sir."

Issue 27 joined the pile. "This one?"

I just shook my head.

"These the other ones you need?" he asked, picking up the stack I had created.

I just nodded.

Dad walked up to the counter and purchased them. I was now the owner of issues 23, 24, 26, and 27!! No way!!

Almost 30 years later, I can still tell you the numbers of those four issues. It wasn't the fact that my dad spent some money on me and bought me some comics. It was that he participated. Even though it was only for a few minutes and in a small degree, he demonstrated that he knew something about what I was interested in. My dad was not a "comic book kind of guy". In fact, in his life, I don't know that he ever read a single comic.

Of course, this wasn't the only time my dad ever participated in the things I liked. He was my t-ball coach, and came to see me play the trumpet every time I played. But there was something about that day, that moment, that has always stuck with me.

I think it is for two reasons. One, he surprised me! I had no idea he was going to do what he did. And two, I didn't ask him to do it. Not only was he willing, he initiated it. Oh yeah, there's a third reason...it involved the Avengers!

Superheroes and the American Psyche

Okay, honestly, the title was just to sound pretentious and possibly make you want to read the post.

This is really just a space to give a little explanation about my profile "photo" for the hundreds of you reading this that might not know me personally. The image on my profile, as well as the image in this blog, is of a comic book superhero known as "The Tick". I personally believe he is one of the most clever creations I have ever had the gut-busting pleasure of reading/watching.

Originating as a comic, The Tick also made the transition to the small screen. First, as an animated series, then as a live action prime-time show. The cartoon is absolutely hilarious. I've never seen an episode (and I've seen most of them) that I didn't just love. The live action show on the other hand...not so much.

They injected a lot of sexual innuendo, blah blah blah, and really took away the naivety and simpleness of the character. Put it this way, Patrick Warburton played The Tick, who happens to be an actor that I love (go Kronk!), and I still didn't like it.

Not only do you have The Tick, who is nigh-invulnerable but not too bright, you have a series of pun/parody heroes/villains for him to fight along/battle. Some examples are:

• Arthur - his sidekick, who is a moth, but is constantly being mistaken for a bunny
• Die Fledermaus - a narcissistic version of Batman
• American Maid = Wonder Woman...and one of the few heroes that is actually competent
• Sewer Urchin - lives in the sewer, stinks, sounds like Rainman...need I say more?
• Venus & Milo - villains; she is a 'love goddess' that makes men fall in love with her, he is a wimpy scientist type whose main weapon makes people's arms fall off
• Chairface Chippendale - a parody of a number of Batman villains; and his head really looks like a chair
• The Human Ton and Handy - The Human Ton is kind of a parody of the Marvel villain known as the Blob, only not as bright; Handy is a hand puppet that the Human Ton wears that constantly spouts famous quotes and then yells "Read a book!!" when no one knows what he means
• Brainchild (aka Charles) - The Tick's arch-nemesis...at least according to Charles...according to the Tick, he's just a freaky kid with a glass head
• Omnipitus - Galactus rip-off...but one hilarious episode
  

Reading back over this list, the little bit that I wrote doesn't do justice to the actual show. I don't know that it is available on television at this time, but the first couple of seasons (of the cartoon) are available on DVD. If you go to the link I put above, there is a great trailer you can watch, along with some video clips and artwork.

Let me throw a couple of "Tickisms" at you to help sweeten the pot. The Tick is famous for standing up and declaring something like along these lines:

"Well, once again my friend, we find that science is a two-headed beast. One head is nice, it gives us aspirin and other modern conveniences,...but the other head of science is bad! Oh beware the other head of science, Arthur, it bites!"

"Destiny's powerful hand has made the bed of my future and it's up to me to lie in it. I am destined to be a superhero, to right wrongs and pound two-fisted justice into the hearts of evil-doers everywhere. You don't fight destiny, no sir! And you don't eat crackers in the bed of your future or you get all...scratchy."

"You know Arthur, when you spend two months riding around on a really big man, you start to learn a few things about yourself. You learn that it is a really great thing to stay on Earth and live in a place that has no arms or legs of its own. And most importantly, Arthur, you learn how to close you eyes and tell yourself that this just isn't happening to me."

Hope you check it out sometime and have a laugh.