Reflections on Comics II

"Hong Kong was opening up to foreign influences then, and I read and watched everything. I loved comic books. My first contact was through Japanese manga and then American superheroes, like Superman, Spider-man and Batman.
- Tsui Hark (The Straits Times, 20 July 2011)

According to this IHT interview, his Film Workshop office is filled with comic books and Godzilla figurines.

Best books I've read this year

1. Paying For It by Chester Brown

2. Just Kids by Patti Smith (go watch the Dream of Life DVD after that)

3. A Visit From The Goon Squad by Jennifer Egan (quick, which David Bowie song is this referencing?)

References to comics

"I don't remember when exactly I read my first comic book, but I do remember exactly how liberated and subversive I felt as a result."
- Edward Said

"I marveled at her comic-book collection, stacks of them earned from a childhood spent in bed, every issue of Superman, Little Lulu, Classic Comics, and House of Mystery."
- Patti Smith, Just Kids

"The one place where there was real excitement was comic books. This really was the golden age of comics. Nearly one hundred million of them were being produced every month by the middle of the decade. It is almost impossible to imagine how central a place they played in the lives of the nation's youth - and indeed more than a few beyond youth. A survey of that time revealed that no fewer than 12% of the nation's teachers were devoted readers of comic books. (And that's the ones that admitted it, of course.)
- Bill Bryson, The Life and Times of The Thunderbolt Kid: Travels Through My Childhood

Bob Dylan setlist in Singapore on 15 April 2011

Someone once told me a blog serves as an archive.

So I finally watched Dylan live.

Gonna Change My Way Of Thinking
It Ain't Me, Babe
Beyond Here Lies Nothin'
Tangled Up In Blue
Honest With Me
Simple Twist Of Fate
Tweedle Dee & Tweedle Dum
A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall
Highway 61 Revisited
Love Sick
Thunder On The Mountain
Ballad Of A Thin Man

Encore:
Like A Rolling Stone
Forever Young

Now if only Bowie would come to Singapore again...

Where past and present fashions collide

DC and Marvel properties have been selling for years. Throughout the years, various characters have been introduced. Superman first appeared in 1938, donning a costume that would have not been considered well designed by modern standards of fashion. His costume evolved, but remained similar to the one he donned in his debut. Some characters saw greater costume changes, permanently or temporarily. Spider-man wore black. Daredevil added grey to his usual red. Wonder Woman, Aquaman and Thor each saw a wide variety of costume changes.

And when comics put a hero like Spider-man or Captain America in their classic costumes, alongside a member of the Young Avengers, you not only see superheroes of different eras coming together, you also see the design sensibilities of different eras placed side by side. The fashions in the Marvel and DC universes are a mix of past and present designs. Superman's costume is far from tasteful if someone came up with such a design today. Look at Invincible (Image Comics), and the way the superheroes and villains are costumed. Many bright colours, but with hardly anyone wearing his or her underwear on the outside.

Updating costumes are a must for some characters that were invented many years ago. Changing iconic costumes may not go well with many fans, but they are a must if characters are to keep up with modern times. Superman lost his outer "underwear" once, when he turned blue (as well as red at one time). And looking at Jim Lee's designs for the upcoming company wide reboot, Superman will lose that iconic piece again. I hope they restore it.

Kino Bestsellers for May 2011

1. FABLES VOLUME 15: ROSE RED TP
by BILL WILLINGHAM, MARK BUCKINGHAM

2. BRIGHTEST DAY VOLUME 2 HC
by GEOFF JOHNS, PETER J. TOMASI

3. BATMAN & ROBIN VOLUME 3: BATMAN MUST DIE DELUXE HC
by GRANT MORRISON, FRAZER IRVING, CAMERON STEWART

4. THOR: FOR ASGARD HC
by ROB RODI, SIMONE BIANCHI

5. BATMAN: THE RETURN OF BRUCE WAYNE DELUXE EDITION HC
by GRANT MORRISON

6. Y THE LAST MAN DELUXE EDITION VOLUME 5 HC
by BRIAN K. VAUGHAN, PIA GUERRA

7. FABLES VOLUME 14: WITCHES TP
by BILL WILLINGHAM

8. VAMPIRE KNIGHT VOLUME 13
by MATSURI HINO

9. BAKUMAN VOLUME 4
by TSUGUMI OHBA, TAKESHI OBATA

10. HALO: FALL OF REACH BOOT CAMP PREMIERE HC
by BRIAN REED, FELIX LUIZ

Beyond superheroes

In my primary and secondary school days, my idea of American comics was that most titles come either from Marvel or DC, or Archie comics. Comics such Maus were completely unknown to me. And so I avoided American comics during the ninties, which I know today was a very bad year for American comics. I mostly read Japanese manga in those years.

Then, in around 2005, I watched a documentary that charted the history of American comics. Needless to say, the show featured those three very well known comics. For me, Maus was the one that stood out amongst the three. It had no superheroes in it. Nevertheless, I first read Dark Knight Returns, followed by Watchmen. Back then, the national libraries had much fewer comic titles, unlike today. At some point, I got bored of the superhero comics and picked out Maus. And after reading Maus, I realized I had a taste for these artistic comics, for the lack of a better term. Not suprising, since I have already acquired a taste for independent and foreign films. By foreign I mean not coming from Hollywood.

If not for that documentary, I think I would never have went beyond superheroes in reading American comics. And I believe it is important to make kids aware, that comics can be more than just about superheroes, fantasy, sci-fi and humour strips. It is important to the development of the comics industry in Singapore at least.

Here's to the success of Marvel, DC and their film endeavours. May they attract more readers. It is not as if superhero comics are going to lose dominance.