You Know Your Old When...

My first National Geographic subscription had a big spread on the coronation of QEII

 

In Jr High, I took print shop all three years. Actually learned how to set type and print a multiple page newspaper.
Used to come home from school with printers hands. My mother actually bought me a set of canvas sleeve protectors to keep my arms and shirt sleeves from getting ink stained.

 

I never actually worked in the industry. But I have to say I had a blast in that class. Other shop classes, they had you make things based on a set curriculum. You know the stuff, we all made them at one time or another, The Checker set and Cutting boards in wood shop, the electric pencil in electronics shop, the vacuform molding in plastics ... etc. But in Print shop, after the initial Headline and single sentence they had you print to show you could use and understand the equipment, it was all up to you. As long as what you printed wasn't illegal or pornographic, they didn't limit you. We also created Silk Screenings. We made our own screens. My best friend and I made some cash for summer vacation by custom screening T-Shirts and Skateboard for classmates and their friends. It was a blast.

 

I never tool print shop when I was in school. I was usually either playing sports or doing theater, but I do reme.ber making "pottery" in art class. I remember trying to make a pitcher. Came out more like a deflated handbag.

Also, I was that generation who learned cursive, but never actually used it. Beyond my signature, I've never had to use cursive for anything. I don't even think I could remember half the letters today

 

Haha! Yeah I actually do use cursive as a secret code. Writing notes to others friends my age, so their kids and mine can't pickup on what we're talking about..

I remember art classes. I did some pottery as well. nothing granda few ashtrays, a cereal bowl. I tried making an R2D2 cookie jar, but failed miserably. Art class wasn't a large portion of my grade. I did best in World History, English, Biology, Creative Writing and Printshop.

 

That's rad! Did you celebrate yesterday?

When I was in 3rd grade 35 years ago, I made my mom a clay Ninja Turtle bowl for her earrings. She still has it to this day lol

 

Always ... and today as well.
Yesterday was May the 4th be with you and today is Revenge of the 5th

 

Indeed, young Padawan!

 

Haha! I am far from Padewan material. I also went to the Dark SIde long ago in a Galaxy not so far away. (It was the Cookies)

Though I am a Star Wars fan, and was one of the first 10 people to see Star Wars in 1977 when it opened at L.A. Theaters (Grandpa had an in with Mann THeaters in Hollywood) I am still a steadfast Trekker. Star Trek was the first TV show I was allowed to watch on my own in 1966.

I am actually what you would call a card carrying geek. I actually belong to a Star Trek fan association, and am Captain of my own ship. And yes I have an actual ID Card in the style of Starfleet that contains info about my membership and my ship (Literal Card Carrying)

I won't address the "Young" part of it. I'll just say I'm an "Old" Man

 

That's cool. While I never could get into any version of Star Trek, my geekdom also knows no bounds. Marvel, TMNT, and slasher movies live alongside Star Wars for me.

 

I was never really a Turtle fan. But now Marvel ... I have to ask, MCU Only? (Movies etc.) or are you a Comic book Fan?

 

I'm gonna sound like a gatekeeper and total bitch, but whatever. I have a love hate relationship with the MCU. While I like some of the individual movies and shows, the backlash by the supposed fanbase upsets me. I remember when Black Panther and Captain Marvel were announced, people lost their shit. Captain Marvel had like a 0% fresh rating before it came out. And people were complaining about how "Marvel's gone woke" as if Stan Lee hadn't been a social justice warrior for a century at that point. Then She-Hulk was announced, and people started bitching about how they swapped the Hulk's gender. Meanwhile, Shulkie's been around for almost 45 years.

Seems like Marvel sent out invitations in the form of comic books. Some comics had straight white male characters. Some had women. Others had racial minorities and even queer characters. People read what they liked and just didn't read what they didn't like. And we all got along, outside of the occasional "Who would win in a aight between these two characters?" debates. It was like we were all invited to the Marvel party and we were all having a great time. Then the MCU happened, and it invited a whole new crowd to party, and now it's no longer fun. MCU fans have tainted the overall Marvel fandom. I know. Like I said, I sound like a gatekeeping bitch, but it's how I feel. So while I do enjoy some of the MCU's offerings (WandaVision, for example, was mind blowing in its homage to sitcoms), I could do without the MCU-only fans.

That all said, of course I'm a comic book fan! My favorite Marvel characters are Captain America, Daredevil, She-Hulk, Luke, Danny, and the Daughters of the Dragon. I also read non-Marvel titles like Superman, Katana, Gen 13, and the aforementioned TMNT.

 

I don't really buy much new stuff anymore. It was getting too expensive

 

Glad to hear it, because I have been seriously disappointed with the MCU. When I say Captain Marvel was a travesty of film making, it has nothing to do with politics and everything to do with the fact that they fucked up Carol's origins and made light of Mar-Vel. I gritted my teeth in 2008 when RDJ did I am Iron Man, only because Iron Man was one of my all time favorites as a kid. But I allowed myself some leeway and didn't say a word when he announced "I am Iron Man," because I am also a Black Sabbath fan.

I have to admit that Shulkie was a 17 years old's wet dream when she popped onto the pages in '79, but I never followed her that regularly. I was actually more fond of Ghost Rider (I wasn't impressed by Nick Cage by the way he IS NOT Johnny Blaze) but also Damon Hellstrom and Satana. I was always roughly 50/50 between Marvel and DC, Superman was pretty much an afterthought with my. I preferred the Darker DC stuff. Obviously Batman, but also Lucifer, But also Zatara and later Zatana. as well as The Demon Etrigan. I really liked the way they merged Jason Blood's backstory to the King Arthur legends.

Nice collection, by the way. I see some Manga hidden in there do you consume much Nihongo no Hon?

 

Isn't manga just Japanese comics? I don't have anything like that. But I will have to diverge here and say, I actually thought Iron Man was the highlight of the MCU. And maybe that's my problem. For me, it peaked immediately. And, I only tolerated Tony as a character in the Avengers. Don't get mad at me, but I was never a fan until RDJ's take on it. Like, I kinda always thought of Tony in the comics as a dick, but in the movies, he's a likable dick. That said, the way they changed him in the comics to better reflect the movie version was disappointing. There was no reason to do that. Let the movies be the movies and let the comics be the comics. Needless to say, I about came unglued when they referred to the MCU timeline as "the 616"

 

Manga is more than just Japanese Comic Books, as Anime is more than just Cartoons. THere is a deep cultural history behind both and they extend from simple storylines to very complex and in-depth social issues. .hack//Sign is a very popular and well respected Japanese Manga & Anime series.

I really ha no issues with Iron Man until the very end. I was surprised how well RDJ fit the role of Stark, and the Suit was amazing. But they introduced Shield as if it were something new. Remember Pepper's comment about their name? and Coulsen told her, "We're working on it." Glaring continuity error there. I was never a fan of RDJ either, I thought he was an entitled punk and and I hated all is older stuff.

I agree. and it seems to be an epidemic that the COmic industry is re-writing all their characters to match the films. I get a lot of flack when I voice my opinions of the Change in Nick Fury. I am not being racist, and God knows I love Sam Jackson in nearly everything he's done. But I also know that I used to buy Sgt Fury & His Howling Commandos Comics, and then Nick Fury Agent Of SHIELD. So seeing the change threw me. THere was no reason for it and then to change him in the comic as well?

With the movie industry it's all about the money. And unfortunately Marvel only goes along with this because they would be dead without the movies to bolster them. Stan Lee had sold off the rights to nearly every A-List character to keep the Comic business afloat and only started getting things back when he won his case against Roger Corman for the FF.

Now that he's gone, there is nothign to stop the suits from permanently combining Marvel Comics with Marvel Entertainment, and catering tot hte lowest possible denominator. I topped buying comics, when I saw the first retcon ...And I can't even begin to vent my frustration on how mad I am at DC for their screwups.

 

He was supposed to be based on Ultimates Fury who was based on Sam Jackson. Overall, I was fine with that, but the diversity in the Howling Commandos was laughable. You had white soldiers, black soldiers, Asian soldiers all fighting side by side. Yeah, that didn't happen. Messing with comics lore is one thing. But that first Captain America movie was really interested in sanitizing some very real history. And then the same thing with Wonder Woman, which--I'm sorry--is an almost scene-for-scene copy of Captain America: First Avenger.

Another thing that irks me about the films is that they prioritize the actor over the character. Part of what made Donner's OG Superman movie work was that Christopher Reeve was famous for being Superman. He essentially was Superman brought to life, then an unknown actor when the film debuted. But Marvel wants to use all these big name actors and have characters like Spider-Man running around without his mask on so we can all go "Ooh, Tom Holland, Tom Holland!" Like, they're no secret identities in the MCU.

That said, the only MCU movie I truly just thought was awful was Ant-Man and The Wasp: Quantumania. That was one of the worst directed films I've ever seen. The rest had at least a couple aspects working for them, but that movie was just hot garbage. Also, Scott's cool and all, but I wanted to see Hank and Jan with The Avengers. Where they belong.

 

Yeah, I have difficulty with "Elseworlds" anything whether Marvel or DC. So, while I'm not saying that the change never should have been done, it just isn't something I'm interested in, because it screws with what I was used to. I find it easier to handle changes with A-Listers. But Fury was never an A-Lister until the MCU came about.
I was not amused by the way they sanitized everything, except some of Chris Even's dialogue. It killed the entire aesthetic.

That's been an issue for a very long time. It's all about "Face-Time." You're right, Superman made Chris Reeve and he most certainly lived up to the character, on and off-screen. But you will always have problems with named actors. Some don't remember this, and he has denied it ever since the character got new hype. But John Wesley Shipp, (Who was previously a well known Soap Opera Actor) Quit the Flash in 1990 because he wanted "More Barry Allen, and Less Flash) In other words he wanted to work without the mask more often. THe MCU got around that with Iron Man by giving us an "In-Helmet View with a HUD."

All of the Ant-Man franchise bugged me. FIrst and Foremost, Hank Pym was a Wife Beating SOB and I never liked the Comic. They skipped over Hank Pym's run as Ant-Man entirely and Sanitized his character for the movies. Sorry, Ant-man was another one who never made the A-List and just struck me wrong when I read the comic.

 

I remember turning the TV off over and over to watch the little white dot fade away. And it was made in the USA.