That your passing desire means you get to derail a woman’s life whenever you feel like it is the absolute definition of male privilege. Kieron Gillen (writer of one of my favorite comics, Phonogram) on sexism.
“Vision of tomorrow! Vision of tomorrow!”
“Is there a verb for making your own echoes? It seems like there should be a verb for making your own echoes.”
-Dinosaur Comics at qwantz.com (This obviously works better with the comic! My layout disallows such things. I hope Ryan North intended this to be as critical of futurism as I’m reading it to be.)
“After punching god in the brain, I smuggled the vicious little bastard back to E.M.P.I.R.E. I have no idea what they’ll do with a hostage god, but the mind reels. And I hope it hurts.” Matt Fraction and Gabriel Ba at Powells.com
Ok, listen up, because I don’t say things like this lightly. Sometimes, people wonder what drives my love of Warren Ellis. I can’t always point to a single work of his that really illustrates why I love him. Sure, Transmetropolitan changed comics (for me, and almost certainly for others) at the time. Sure, he’s continued to write brilliant comics, including the on-going, weekly, free, online comic Freakangels. He’s also written quite a nice little book called Crooked Little Vein, that is more enjoyable if you already know the way Ellis’ head works (which isn’t something I recommend to those with weak constitutions).
But anyway, listen up.
Ellis has been writing a column (“Do Anything”) for a new comics site called Bleeding Cool recently. It’s been taking me awhile to read them all, because I can’t really read more than one a day (in theory. In reality, I’m getting through 1 every 3 or 4 days). I need to let the language roll around in my brain and choose which synapses to rest in. I decided at the end of the first one that these columns were activating the Hunter S. Thompson neural pathways in my brain, which have been atrophying since last I read HST’s ESPN columns (my only and ever ESPN experiences) and I still think that’s a fair description.
In other words? Warren Ellis is writing a column for Bleedingcool.com, and you should be reading it.
The man in question: DC Comics editor Matt Idleson. The pronouncement he issued was just eight words long, but such is its paradigm-shattering power that it will surely stand one day in the annals of comic book history, alongside “With great power comes great responsibility,” “Truth, Justice and the American Way,” and “Shazam!”
Thus spake Idleson: “I never want to see Supergirl’s panties again.” Link to post at npr.org
“What’s it like in space?”
“It sings.”
“The vibrations from the spin of the drive arms, sir, and the motion of the heat through the casements to space, which is very cold. The whole ship sings quietly, like a gently struck tuning fork.”
Warren Ellis at Amazon.com
“You’re not here. You’re not even the real Kathy. The Doctor explained it to me, once he’d examined the computer.” – Corner of the Eye, by Steven Moffat. (Early version of the story that became the Doctor Who episode “Blink.”)
“But most importantly, the biggest pile of amps and speakers they could afford in one corner. And a DJ who played records that came out last week rather than last decade in the other. Indie as inclusive exhibitionism. Triumphalism rather than introversion. Charms rather than wards. Realising that selling out was actually the one thing left to do with ‘independent guitar music.’ So let’s piss away everything our predecessors strove for. Sell out. Just make sure the price is high enough to buy a pair of fancy new shoes.” Kieron Gillen and Jamie McKelvie at Amazon.com
Once again the day is saved by SCIENCE! Once again our CITY is saved by science! Nikola Tesla makes a HERO of science! Science makes a HERO of Nikola Tesla! Sleep soundly, New York City! Science has made you safe again! Ask yourselves — Why hasn’t your GOVERNMENT done the same? Matt Fraction at Powells.com
Ways I know the world isn’t as bad as I usually think it is:
Randall Munroe: Well, I draw XKCD, a webcomic about stick figures who do math, play with staple guns, mess around on the Internet, and have lots of sex. It’s about three-fourths autobiographical.