Postcards From the Edge: Dad's Family Cards 12

Quapaw Baths?  Under Government Supervision?  It's in Hot Springs, AR. 

Children's Hospital, Denver, CO.  Even with image enhancement, the back is unreadable.

 

Neece Motel, Walnut Ridge, AR.  Great cars in the picture.  

Snowy Range in the Rockies.

Lake Catherine State Park, AR.

Postcards From the Edge: Dad's Family Cards 11

Impressive Yosemite National Park card from the 40's. 

A somewhat generic view of the Rockies.

Pueblo of Red Rock Park, Denver, CO.  A very weird picture.  Strangely, that's what current photographs look like, too.

Obviously the Grand Canyon.

Ruby, ND.  "The scenery is wonderful, but I'm lonesome for you."

Comics and Book Review: Momentary and Starstruck #6 Part 2

 

Part 1.  

Starstruck #6 (Epic)

I’m not sure if this is going to be much of a review, as much as an exaltation.  I got this comic after about 30-something years of searching.  The other reason this won’t be much of a review is because Starstruck is notoriously incomprehensible.  I can say that it looks awesome, it’s incredibly inventive, and is painfully smart and witty.  But, you’re not really going to figure out what’s going on.  This somewhat reflects from all of the characters in the story also not knowing what’s going on.

This could have been called feminist sci-fi in the 80’s when it came out, because it featured mostly female leads--half heroes (?), half villains.  Now, of course, Starstruck would be considered to be thinly-disguised patriarchal propaganda.  The women heroes, Galatia 9 and Brucilla the Muscle, are aggressively heterosexual and there are strong male characters, along with some weak ones.  The best issue of the series is probably #2, which just features Harry Palmer being a bad ass.  (Though he didn’t really seem anything like that in the graphic novel.)  At the end of the series, a surprising amount of sympathy is shown towards Harry’s final fate and even the foppishly, borderline insane Kalif Bajar. 

 

  

“Its science fiction, Jim, but not as we know it.”  The artwork is the selling point of the series.  The technology presented is as incredible, as it is at times whimsical.  It’s almost sci-fi by Dr. Suess.      

If you remember the Stellar Cartography Room from Star Trek: Generations, here’s the upgraded version.

I probably got the graphic novel from a Waldenbooks at the mall in the 80’s.  This included material that had originally been published in Heavy Metal.  I didn’t really understand it, but I loved the artwork.  The story itself was based on a play written by and starring Elaine Lee.  Artist Michael W. Kaluta worked on the production.  The two then teamed up to make a comic story about the play characters’ backstories.  Sometime later on a rare trip to the comic book store in El Paso, I found Issue #4 of a 6-issue limited series.  Somewhere shortly thereafter, I got #5.  So ended the 80’s.

What followed next was a near life-long search for the other issues.  It was an obscure, low-distribution comic, but I was determined to run down every issue by searching the bins of the every store selling comics I went to.  Before you laugh at the strategy, I did find three more issues like that.  Only the final issue was left to get, which probably had the lowest print run.  Of course, I could have gotten from an online source (I even looked for pirated pdf’s), but I enjoyed the chase.        

 

This series was remastered for a hardback edition years later, but didn’t include all of the issues, otherwise I would have bought it.  These pages, along with a bunch of new material, were published on a Starstruck website.  A new comic series was produced, but it’s an expanded version of Issue #2.  (Like I said, it’s the best issue.) 

 

I read an online interview with Lee at that time, who explained the story’s setting in a very succinct and understandable manner that the comic book never did.  Unfortunately, I didn’t think to save that interview and now it’s disappeared.  (So much for, “The Internet is forever.”)  There’s been a radio drama produced, probably based on the play.  I have an excerpt of it.  It’s fun listening to the actors completely twisting their tongues trying to force out the hyper-technobabble in the script. 

 

By coincidence, I had read all of my issues over a vacation week in December before I got the Amazon gift card for Christmas.  Starstruck was already on my mind when I started thinking of ways of using the card.  I finally broke down to order a copy of #6 to satisfy my curiosity as to how the story ended.  This wasn’t driven by my own mortality coming into play before I might randomly find it, perhaps so much as I’m doubting the continuity of civilization in general. 

I was not expecting a life-altering experience by reading it.  I was a little afraid to read it or that something would happen to me or the comic before I read it.  It was like this was somehow the culmination of my entire life.  I thought it would look good and would be incomprehensible.  It was all that, but the imagination in the artwork was stunning.  The story did resolve and was understandable to some extent.  I could simply recommend this series based on the experience.  Don’t try too hard to understand it; just go with the flow. 

 

Well now what comic book am I going to obsess over?

Comics and Book Review: Momentary and Starstruck #6 Part 1

This is sort of a Christmas-related post.  This was a card from a friend of my dad.  It’s so cute.

 

For Christmas my boss, Eric, gave me a $25 gift card for Amazon.  It was taped to a bag of chocolates, which I was initially more interested in.  I’d had a falling out with Amazon a few years ago (and certainly I don’t like the way they’ve profited off of the cold) and hadn’t ordered anything from them since.  However, at 5:00am while I was trying to sleep that morning, suddenly I started thinking of ways to use that card.  I got up and wrote them down and went back to bed (and wondered why I couldn’t have had that brainstorm well after I’d gotten up for the day).

 

I checked out a modest list of choices online.  I keep wanting that first book of the modern Guardians of the Galaxy, but I’ve had such bad luck with the title that I’m reluctant to buy anything sight-unseen.  I have the first two hardcover Archie Daily Newspaper Strips volumes and the oversized Sunday Best Collection.  These all get my highest recommendation.  I looked into the third volume and found it was $79!  I’m guessing poor distribution turned it into a collector’s item.

 

I settled on an Ilya Kuvshinov artbook and a comic book I’d spent years looking for, Starstruck #6.  I asked my co-worker, Mike, who has no qualms about using Amazon, if he’d order them using his account.  The amount went over the card and he graciously paid it and called it a Christmas gift.  They arrived at our workplace separately.  The comic came well-protected in bubble wrap and sandwiched between two pieces of cardboard.  It also came with a Far Side strip inside, a nice touch.  The book came with a bunch of cables and such that Mike had ordered for work.          

 

Momentary: The Art of Ilya Kuvshinov

I think I’ve gushed enough over my purchase of Ilya’s second art book, Eternal (6-1-20).  Buying that book restarted my drawing hobby that I’d given up on for a couple of years.  Over a year and hundreds of daily drawings later, I’m still trying to recapture the initial inspiration that that book gave me.  If only I could figure out how to keep drawing like I did when I first got that book.  (Let’s be honest, I’m not that good to begin with, but my lousy inking and coloring have ruined a lot of my fairly decent sketches.)

I’m not expecting miracles, but I’m hoping this book will help.  Momentary was his first book.  It’s smaller in dimensions and pages than Eternal.  There’s a few text pages, but they only talk about why he was drawing and not how.  Some drawings do come in a series showing the stages in the production of the final image.  The artbooks of Pernille Orum and Asia Ladowska that I have include extensive tutorials.  Honestly, I’d rather have more pictures, but the tutorials would be useful for producing professional-level work.  Ilya has posted videos for that. 

Most of the artwork in the book is full color pictures of cute girls.  There is a pencil section of people he sketched on the train as part of his 50 sketch-a-week art school assignment.  (That’s one way to get artists to learn how to draw faster.)  There’s a manga-ish section and a section of cyber girls.  It’s all very appealing.  As you’d expect, Ilya’s style isn’t quite as well defined as in his later book.  Also, some of the girls have bad haircuts with way too short bangs.      

Mike and Eric both flipped through the book and were visibly impressed.  I was too.  I can’t wait to start drawing from this (and simultaneously being nervous about it and delaying it).  Certainly I feel like Ilya’s work somewhat validates my own artistic choice of mostly just drawing female headshots.  There’s no end to the variety of just that subject.  Of the two books, Eternal is better, but getting both books is the best option.  

Part 2.

NM State Aggies vs Chicago State Cougars Men’s Basketball 1-1-22 Part 2

 

Continued from Part 1.

Halftime

Our stat of the game so far was that Chicago State had accumulated 11 fouls.  Hot courtside reporter, Megan McCormick, talked to AD Moccia during the break.  I’m sure he didn’t mind.  I wonder when she started with the team.  Oops.  I have another phone call.  This is unprecedented.  It’s dad.  I think he called to taunt me about how bad the game was to this point to further emphasize how glad he was that he didn’t come.  I think.  I couldn’t hear him. 

 

Well, I’m sure he would have regretted not coming if he knew what was coming up next.  The Diaper Dash was on!  It was the baby race to end all baby races.  There was something close to 30 babies entered.  PA Ed gallantly read all of the babies’ vital stats as prepared by their parents.  “He likes eating, pooping, and peeing,” was said about one entrant.  A former Volleyball player had an entry, though I didn’t recognize her.  The race began and the crowd roared louder than during the game.  However, only one baby actually made it across the court.  The rest never made it past the start.  At Ed’s urging, the proud dad brought the kid over so he could congratulate him. 

 

A guy in a suit carrying a trashcan walked down the line of the courtside seats.  He was collecting the trash.  How’s that for service?  PA Ed introduced the Raising Canes free throw promo for the half.  If an opposing player missed two free throws in a row this half, everyone got free chicken.  It was not added that they weren’t open today.  This didn’t payoff anyway, so it didn’t matter.         

 

 

Second Half

Will McNair muscled his way in down low for a bucket to start the half.  The Chicago State coach must not have liked that and called an immediate timeout.  What happened next was that an “administrative technical foul” was called.  Even with the radio call, this foul was basically unexplained.  The Aggies got one free throw for it, but the Cougars got the ball back. 

 

On the next trip, Johnny McCants missed a last-second shot at the rim, but got his own rebound as the shot clock reset and scored anyway.  Teddy Allen then hit a three and it was 38-26 Aggies.  During a stoppage, Teddy and Mario McKinney directed a little kid with a mop to get the sweat in the lane.  Mario fist-bumped him afterward.  Jabari Rice hit a three.  McNair got a tip in off a miss.  It was suddenly 45-28 with 15 minutes still left in the game.

 

After a scramble for the ball at midcourt between four players, Teddy came up with the ball and finger-rolled the ball in.  Nate Pryor got back on defense and drew a charge on a fast break.  He came back and drove into the lane for a layup and drew a foul.  He missed on that, but it was his first foul shot of the year. 

 

With the Aggies out to a big lead, play got a bit sloppy again.  The Aggies were not getting back on defense at times.  It was 49-32 with 12 minutes left at the next media timeout.  The Aggie reserves came in.  Mike Peake made an “easy” layup.  “Well, it was an ‘easy’ layup if you’re calling the game and not getting hit by two defenders,” said Jack Nixon on the radio broadcast.  Chi Chi Avery made a layup for his first points.  Virshon Cotton made his first points with a three.  It was 58-36 Aggies with 9 minutes left.

 

Avery came back with a thunderous, crowd-pleasing jam.  It was 62-38 Aggies with 7 minutes left going into another media timeout.  The T-shirt Gatling cannon was wheeled out and unloaded into the crowd.  One of the referees looked like he was scolding a fan on the sidelines.  However, the fan was laughing afterward.  Ron said they’d been talking all during the game.  Neither of us were sure if it was a friendly exchange or not.

 

Avery drew a foul.  Jack praised his team-leading free throws skills right before Avery missed both.  Jack took the blame for that citing the “Sportscaster’s Jinx.”  Jabari and Cougar, Jahsean Corbett, traded coast-to-coast layups to give you an idea of the defense in the game.  It was 68-43 into another media timeout with 5 minutes left.  Out of the break, Corbett got a steal and jammed it.  Even the Aggie crowd, “Ahh’d,” at that one.

 

The Aggies were up 70-48 with 3 minutes left during another timeout.  The Whataburger Fry Shuffle game came up on the video board.  I got confused during the game, but the contestant had no problem picking the right one to get a prize pack.  At least they’re open today and serving good burgers, which Ron and I had had earlier.  Jump in the Line played, a Pan-Am favorite.  One of the Aggie players almost started dancing, before he caught himself.  A couple of little kids danced in the aisle anyway.

 

A Chicago State shot swirled all the way into the basket and then came back out.  The whole crowd went, “Oooh!” at that applied Physics demonstration.  Then, Teddy Bayi Ba Mandeng, whose name Jack had been tripping on during the game, went down to the floor hard and had to come out.  The crowd gave him a nice round of applause.  It just wasn’t the Cougars’ day.  Another Cougar player missed the front end of a pair of foul shots.  The remaining crowd got excited about the prospect of free chicken on a miss, but were denied.  In the final seconds, Avery handed the ball to a Cougar player, who took it down to the basket, but chose not to shoot.  78-61 Aggies final.

 

I got close to counting all the points right, just off by a point.  Then I saw the official scoring and realized I was off all over the place.  I had trouble with radio reception after we left our seats.  I gave up before getting the final totals.  I should have taken Ron’s cue.  He was very content to keep sitting there, so that he could keep watching Megan at courtside.  I also missed Coach Jans’ postgame interview.  I’ll guess he said something like, “We were just toying with them in the first half.  We let them hope for a while, then we crushed their dreams.”  Actually, I saw the TV interview later.  He said that he expected the Cougars to play tough.  The Aggies just had to wear them down.  He was also very happy with the turnout given the circumstances.

 

Jahsean Corbett and Brandon Betson carried Chicago State with 26 and 23 points respectively.  Their team played some very tenacious defense for a half.  The Aggies’ constantly rotating in fresh legs ran the Cougars down.  If Chicago State had a couple more horses, they could have run in this Derby. 

 

The Aggies spread the scoring around magnificently.  I think just about everybody in the game scored.  Jabari Rice led the Aggies with 15 points and 9 rebounds.  Chi Chi Avery and Teddy Allen had 11 points, and Johnny McCants 9 and Mario McKinney had 9.  Some poor first half shooting, mostly 3-point attempts, was what kept this close for 20 minutes.  If Yuat Alok had been playing, this might have been over quicker.  Nate Pryor is my player of the game for being a real spark plug off the bench.

 

In spite of the freezing cold outside, we went for ice cream at PQ Treats afterward.  (Say it with me, “Ice cream is for winners.”)  The local convenience store chain where the stand is had sold out to Circle K.  The last time I’d gone for ice cream, they didn’t have any.  I was worried they were going to shut the affiliated PQ Treats down.  We were in luck; they were open.  Ron got a mint shake and brain freeze.  I got an “Elvis” Frozen Tornado with bananas and peanut butter and it was great. 

 

We started checking updates from the Rose Bowl.  Ron missed a great game (I don’t have cable), as Ohio State beat Utah, 48-45, with a field goal at the end.  I was glad that getting those free tickets for today’s game in November finally paid off.  It was too bad dad didn’t want to come, but it was admittedly not that great a game other than the result.    

 

NM State Aggies vs Chicago State Cougars Men’s Basketball 1-1-22 Part 1

We start the New Year with Aggie Men’s Basketball.  The free tickets I got for going to football (11-27-21) were finally going to pay off.  I had four tickets and, unfortunately, dad just refused to go.  I’m doubting I’m ever going to get him to go to a sporting event again.  I gave two of the tickets to a co-worker.  I’m not sure if he went given the day and given that it wasn’t great opponent.  (He was planning on partying pretty hard on New Year’s Eve.)  I wasn’t sure if Ron would want to go, since he could otherwise stay home and watch the Rose Bowl.  (I would have stayed home to watch the NHL’s Winter Classic outdoor game, but don’t even know where it’s being broadcast.  And I thought they’d suspended play for a month anyway, but they hadn’t.)  Ron was enthusiastic about going to the game, though.

 

Certainly, I didn’t want to go outside today.  There were high, cold winds blowing.  Nonetheless, Ron picked me up for a late lunch at Whataburger (using an Aggie ticket coupon).  It wasn’t our first choice.  I’d gotten a Raising Cane’s gift card for Christmas that I was eager to use, but they were closed for the holiday.  We got to the Pan-Am Center about an hour before the game.  The lot in front of the arena was almost deserted, which it never is on a Men’s Basketball gameday.  Ron went ahead and parked there, though I cautioned him that that lot usually requires a parking pass on days like these.  Given the lack of a crowd, he wasn’t worried. 

 

Inside, Ron asked a ticket-taker where our seats were, and she said just to sit anywhere.  Like the football game, there weren’t any ushers there to tell us otherwise.  We sat in our usual seats for Volleyball and Women’s Basketball, but I told Ron to not get comfortable.  The teams were on court warming up.  Chicago State, today’s opponent, looked like a bunch of guys getting ready for a pickup game at a Southside playground, but a bit taller.  This is to say that they weren’t well-dressed for a college basketball game.  I didn’t even see anyone with them that looked like an obvious coach. 

 

Also on court were a couple of really good-looking production assistants for the TV broadcast (in addition to Emerson, who was working with PA Ed.)  One of the girls I’d seen before, but today she was wearing very tight black yoga pants that didn’t leave much to the imagination.  The other one was also in all black and was also really attractive.  (I am making assumptions, since they were both masked the whole time.)  They looked like they had escaped from a 60’s movie from a beatnik jazz club during a big dance number. 

 

Wow!  Who is that?  TV broadcaster Adam Young was talking to a very hot blonde courtside.  She wasn’t wearing a mask, so I didn’t have to guess about her face.  She turned out to be the broadcast sideline reporter, Megan McCormick.  (My dad knew who she was.  I didn’t.  She’s married to an El Paso newscaster.)  Ron and I were both enraptured.  Also on the broadcast, former Aggie player, Joe Garza, joined Adam as his color commentator.  That’s awesome.  Garza was profiled in Sports Illustrated for making the team in 2017 as a walk-on, who’d previously been playing on the Women’s practice squad.  (At the college level, Women’s basketball teams practice against men.)  Garza’s also a local kid.  He’s my hero.  To hear Garza’s analysis, I kind wished I was watching the TV broadcast instead.

 

The students were still on break, so there wasn’t the usual large contingent of them.  (Unlike every other Aggie sport, the students do come out for Men’s Basketball.)  The band was absent, as were the Sundancers.  A small troop of late-arriving Cheerleaders did make it for game.  I found myself wishing they’d put the Rose Bowl up on the new video board while we were waiting.  Our other local product hero, Johnny McCants came by the sidelines to hug a child and greet the young woman with the kid.  I don’t know their relationship.  I bring this up because I noticed that Johnny had two fingers on his right hand taped up. 

 

A guy came down our row and Ron and I got bumped down a couple seats.  I was glad we didn’t get moved to the upper deck.  Ron struck up a conversation with him.  The rest of the row was reserved for the local theater owner, but the guy said he only shows up for important games.  This was definitely not one of those.  The referees came out.  They looked over the courtside table and picked up the large wrapped cookies left out for the fans in the really good seats.  They didn’t seem to approve of them, as they tossed them aside.  

 

Ron and I both had radios for the game call, though neither of us could hear much of the pregame over the noise.  The Aggies were doing well with an 11-2 record.  Yuat Alok, who was a standout over the Aggies’ four-game sweep road trip, was out with a cold.  Not the cold, but a cold.  Looking over the program, I didn’t know he was from New Zealand (or that there were black guys in New Zealand).  Marchelus “Chi Chi” Avery was suited out to play today after he’d had a cold recently, but not the cold.  Jordan played with the flu, Magic played with HIV, but the cold is too much of a risk.

 

AD Mario Moccia then came on the broadcast, and I really couldn’t make out more than every other sentence over the noise.  I heard him say, “Damn masks,” about a dozen times, which is about a dozen more times than an athletic director should say, “Damn,” over the air, so he was angry.  Mario also mentioned that the Lobos had closed the Pit to unvaxxed fans.  Mario said he would not be doing that. 

 

I’d seen the front page of the Albuquerque Journal last month.  The media there was basically bullying the Pit to put on the restriction.  They’d better have been prepared to issue some refunds to season ticketholders.  Our local paper in Las Cruces is produced in Juarez, so no one cares what it says.  (The Sun-News didn’t even produce an edition on Christmas Eve, Christmas, New Year’s Eve, and New Years because they . . . didn’t feel like coming in to work on those days?)

 

First Half

Here’s where I like covering Women’s games, because they break it down into four quarters, which I prefer frankly.  Right before the start, a decent crowd, considering the circumstances, suddenly materialized.  This is normal.  Here’s Johnny!  McCants filled in a three to start the scoring for the game.  I got a good look at 6’10” Will McNair on court.  He is really big.  I’d heard radio broadcaster, Jack Nixon, call him, “The Baby Bull,” before.  I thought I heard PA Ed call him, “Big Philly,” in the introductions after his hometown. 

 

The Aggies were just shooting three’s to start, apparently not able to get the ball inside.  Mario McKinney made one, but most of the shots missed.  It was 6-5 Aggies, 3 minutes in.  Johnny dove into the sideline table going for a loose ball.  He said, “Hi,” to the fans there.  It was 8-5 Aggies with 15 minutes left at the first media timeout.  Suddenly, I got a call.  I couldn’t hear it; I just felt it vibrating.  Oh, it was my Aunt Judy from Missouri calling to wish me Happy New Years.  I think.  She could hear I was at a game.  I told her I’d call her back later.   

 

The Aggies were just getting sloppy out of the break, as the Cougars took an 8-9 lead.  The Aggies retook the lead, 10-9, with 14 minutes left, as McKinney made 2 of 3 free throws at the line.  He really hustled on that final miss and nearly got the ball back.  The Aggies picked up the D at this point.  McCants got a block that got a rise out of the crowd, though I think it was waived off on a shot clock violation.  Clayton Henry was inserted into the game.  He got a cheer from the crowd.  He’d been injured at the start of the season.  I wonder if this was his first home game in front of a big crowd.

 

Great.  Now, nobody was scoring.  At the media timeout with 11 minutes left, it was still 10-9.  Clayton hit a last second three out of the break to end the funk.  Chicago State player, Ali Abdou Dibba was called for a foul.  Marking that on the scorecard, I noticed he was from Sweden.  This black person from Sweden wasn’t entirely surprising, as we were already familiar with Soufia Inoussa from our Aggie Women’s Basketball team.  13-14 Cougars as JJ Harris hit a three from NBA distance.  The crowd was impressed.  McCants missed a 3, jumped high around the rim twice trying to get the rebound, but lost it.  The effort was there.

 

During the break, there was a disturbing shootout contest.  A pair of large eyeball mascots came out with an enormous pair of glasses with nets instead of lens.  The contestants shot small balls into the nets.  A little tribute to Betty White played afterward in the form of the Golden Girls theme song.  She’d passed away at 99 years old on New Year’s Eve (three days after getting the shot?).  The crowd kind of went, “Ahh,” for a moment.

 

McCants hit a pair of free throws to end a four-minute Aggie scoring drought.  A Cougar pass hit an open man on the arm who wasn’t looking.  Timeout Chicago State.  17-16 Aggies with five minutes left.  “Turnovers, fouls, and missed shots,” was Jack Nixon’s game analysis on the radio.  Brandon Betson hit a three and had a layup to give the Cougars a 19-21 lead as the Aggies took a timeout. 

 

Nate Pryor came in for the Aggies.  You couldn’t miss him with his gold shoes and big hair.  He scored on his first shot, and then had a no-look assist to Teddy Allen for a three, his first points of the game.  24-21 Aggies with 3 minutes left and another media timeout.  Pistol Pete brought a policeman out on court, so the crowd could honor him with a standing ovation.  I thought I also saw the officer tossing balls to the crowd with the Cheerleaders later.  Speaking of the Cheerleaders, on this break, they handed out gourmet local pizzas to the crowd from Lorenzo’s.  A kid who planned ahead well got one, as he held up a handmade, “Pizza Here!” sign. 

 

Out of the break, Nate went to Teddy again for a dunk off a turnover.  On the other end, McCants got a block, but it was scored anyway on a goaltend.  Finally, the half ended.  It was 30-26 Aggies.

 

Continued in Part 2.

Postcards From the Edge: Dad's Family Cards 10

Half-Moon Lake, Eau Claire, WI.  The back of the card encourages moonlight canoe rides around the lake..

Lookout Mountain, CO.  1 cent stamp for postage.  

Art Museum, St. Louis, MO.  The figure on the horse is Saint Louis himself.

Pike's Peak, CO.  Lots of stuff to say on the back of the card.

I love this card.  It's like that Waco card that I also like.  I did everything I could with an image program to make the back readable.