Bizarro

I usually don't get to read the comics section of the newspaper much, especially since the Chronicle stopped giving them to the school as part of their free for schools education program--that's what happens when the economy sucks... schools lose out. Anyways, I have been able to read the newspaper sporadically throughout the summer. My favorite comic strip since Far Side and Boondocks have retired is Bizarro. His take on the world always makes me smile, but rarely does one panel have the ability to make me laugh so hard I fall down and roll on the ground. Looking back, it may not have been that funny, but I suppose I need more humor in my life, especially after watching all these baseball games. (Incidentally, Giants beat the Dodgers tonight)

So here's a copy of the comic... and because I'm so oblivious, I never really noticed that Bizarro has a blogspot site and I am now including as a must read for all of you. Read Bizarro... it's healthy for you.

Dr. Horrible

I rarely ever find myself actually paying for anything on iTunes, for most things I want I can get for free and for some reason I still want to own the CD rather than just download it. I'm sure that will end soon since I have no space for anything else in my life, yet I found two things for which I actually bought a season pass: Dr. Horrible and Invincible.

But first let us explore Dr. Horrible. While at leadership camp this past week, one of the few things I had to keep me away from all leadership all the time was my ipod. I was able to get a couple hours in during the 5 days of camp. By far, the best thing I watched was Joss Whedon's Dr. Horrible sing-along blog. Most of you may know Whedon from Buffy the Vampire Slayer, and Dr. Horrible does echo the Buffy musical episode.

But let us learn more from the actress of the show, Felicia Day, who discusses the short film and working with Neil Patrick Harris and Nathan Fillion.





need more to whet your appetite... of course you do... that was only an interview...
so here's the trailer



If you like comics, superheroes, music, comedy, Doogie Howser, this is for you.

Mad Men season 2 begins Sunday

I'm glad some of you actually read my blog and consider my recommendations. Unfortunately, not enough of you read to vote for my co-worker in the comcast teacher of the year contest, which she did not win. C'est la vie!

However, I have discovered that many of you are now hooked on licorice. The mango is so good. And the strawberry one is on sale at Target as we speak, so stock up but don't go to the Colma one, for I bought them all already.

Also, I'm glad that several of you are trying out Mad Men that quaint little show getting all kinds of critical notoriety. You'll be happy to know that the season 2 premiere is Sunday evening. If you have comcast on demand, you still have time to catch up on season 1.

Here's also the review from the SF Chronicle... I hope they don't mind...

Mad Men: Drama.

10 p.m. Sundays

on AMC.

In the first episode of the second season of "Mad Men," there's a great moment - in fact, many great moments - that immediately justify the runaway critical acclaim for this series while underscoring the primary mechanism for its brilliance, which is acute subtlety.

Don Draper (Jon Hamm), the central character in AMC's "Mad Men," and perhaps the only figure in prime-time television to be absolutely mired in existentialism, is at a bar, having a drink. This should come as no surprise, even to new fans interested in jumping on the heavily hyped, multi-Emmy-nominated drama, which starts Sunday. Drinking and smoking and stylized sets and clothes are the touchstones of the series and are frequently mentioned in the buzz that surrounds the show.

Almost none of the coverage for "Mad Men" explains that this is a show about interiors.

So Draper, the advertising executive at the heart of darkness that is this contemplative character study, is not out of place having a drink at midday.

But, as he's about to find out, he's out of place in the world. (He always has been - it's one of the primary drives in the "Mad Men" narrative - but Season 2 looks to be bringing this personal isolation into sharper focus.) Sitting at the bar with Draper is another man, perhaps slightly younger, reading Frank O'Hara's "Meditations in an Emergency," a collection of poems from the young, acclaimed poet. Don remarks that reading at the bar is a convenient excuse for not doing anything, not being at work. He barely hears the reply, which is a veiled swipe at the notion that doing something (like work) is even important.

"Is it good?" Draper asks the other man. "I don't think you'd like it," comes the reply. And there's an ever-so-faint look on Draper's face - the kind of nuanced acting that Hamm is rightfully getting credit for - he can't quite figure out whether he's been insulted or if it's merely the end of a conversation going nowhere between two disparate men.

But right in that moment, series creator and main writer Matthew Weiner has reset the hook on what's so alluring about Don Draper and "Mad Men." Times are changing. Men like Draper don't really know it yet, but the world has inched in a different direction from the way they are going. It's a wonderful scene, evocative of the nuances at the heart of "Mad Men." It's note perfect. Understated, undersold.

Out of place

Later Draper will be seen reading "Meditations in an Emergency," looking as if he's trying to understand some kind of coded text, some message he doesn't quite get. (No doubt copies will be flying off the shelves soon.) In some way, the poems are a message from the future - which is already surfacing in the New York that Draper walks through every day. And the insinuation is that despite his not being a man who values poetry - he's an adman, after all - there's something in the words that made a connection. At the end of the episode, part of one of the poems is voiced as Draper walks down the street looking, as always, out of place.

The first two episodes of "Mad Men" reaffirm its place in the upper echelon of television dramas. The writing is a real thing of beauty - from the aforementioned nuance to searing workplace witticisms and pitch-perfect tone from a multitude of characters. You can't overstate how accomplished "Mad Men" is at understanding the vagaries of dialogue among disparate characters.

So too is the acting. Hopefully "Mad Men's" subtlety will appeal to the new viewers expected to turn out in response to the series' rising profile. You don't find a lot of physicality in "Mad Men" - fights or guns or running or screaming fits. The series is mannered. The first season took place in 1960 for a reason: The country was still living in a 1950s-influenced time. The roiling decade ahead was in its nascent form. For the Don Drapers of the world, change was going to be what other people did, at least initially. The racism and sexism and old-school values and habits (which often form the basis for the best jokes in "Mad Men") were in their DNA.

Others at Draper's advertising firm, Sterling Cooper, are aware of the changes, but not the series' central character. Paul Kinsey (Michael Gladis), one of the copywriters at the firm, has grown a beard and started smoking a pipe, playing at being hipper than he really is. Even Draper's disaffected wife, Betty (January Jones), is feeling the cultural plates shift below her.

Kennedy era has begun

Weiner has smartly started Season 2 in 1962. John Kennedy is in the White House. A new era has begun. Draper is the core of the "Mad Men" universe. His worldview is beginning to be at odds (especially in advertising) with what is percolating up in the zeitgeist. He's only 36 and straddling two eras. Even in two episodes, you can tell that Weiner and company will be mining the change for all it's worth. When Joan (Christina Hendricks), the office manager at Sterling Cooper, goes to a would-be bohemian party that Paul throws, she sees that he's got an African American girlfriend and calls him out the next day in the office.

"You, out there in your poor little rich-boy apartment in Newark or wherever. Walking around with your pipe and your beard. Falling in love with that girl just to show how interesting you are." When Paul looks peeved, Joan adds casually, "Go ahead. What part is wrong?"

In perfect contrast, Draper is not playing at being someone other than himself or embracing change - mostly because he doesn't truly know who he is or where he fits. No doubt all around him will grapple at a quicker pace with what 1962 really means - his wife, his co-workers, the agency. His existential state might not yet be an emergency, but it's something Don Draper will have to meditate on, and that's going to make for compelling television of the smartest (and possibly most subversive) kind.

E-mail Tim Goodman at tgoodman@sfchronicle.com.

Support my friend Manny and his graphic novel Dugout

well, it's that crazy time of year when San Diego is dressed up in its finest costumes. While many of us cannot be there nor have the channel G4 to explore the most commercial of segments at the con, one little project might be overlooked by the casual fan and unknowing public, so I must make you aware that at thecompany booth, my friend and artiste extraordinaire, Manny Bello, has completed a graphic novel that can't help but be successful. This image is from the current Wizard #202 magazine and lifted from the AiT website, but it provides a glimpse into a great story. How can it not be, for it combines baseball, prison, and comics all in one place. So go to your local comic store and demand Dugout... support the indie creators.

Joker

The Joker has always been my favorite villain in comics. I suppose I am drawn to the dark psychosis of the mind. Here's a little gallery to pump you up for the film. Go here for another gallery online.

New EC Leadership Design

One of my students has been working hard on a new design for our Leadership sweatshirt/T-shirt. Please share an opinion. The left top design is the front and right top design is taken from the yearbook to be used on the sleeve. It's to go along with the Inspired campaign.

Mad Men

I spent the 4th of July weekend (still not watching summer movies) but catching up on TV series that I've heard about. I was on the phone with Anne who'd been telling me how great this show Mad Men is. Her examples of two favorite moments were 1. a little girl is playing with a plastic bag and puts it over her head and all mom can say is that her daughter will be in a world of hurt of her dry cleaning is on the floor... and 2. a pregnant woman drinking a mint julep...

Then I found the TV series for rent at my local Blockbuster and after watching the first disc I couldn't wait until the next day to finish the series. Thankfully, I could finish the series because it was only 13 episodes. I'm all for short seasons if it allows the series to maintain a high level of quality. Immediately, I realized from the opening credits to the portrayal of 1960 America that this drama has some serious gravitas. The look and design have a strong nostalgic look with some modern sensibilities thrown in.

The first episode centered on smoking and how and ad company can market cigarettes which are for the first time being considered unhealthy by society. Little scenes of what life was like made me feel a kinship with the show. Oftentimes I wish life were a bit simpler, yet this show is far from simple... there exists a deep underlying tension that is slowly unfolding as you watch the series. A simple throwaway line in episode 1 plays into two characters interaction in episode 12... one that isn't obvious, but makes sense.

I think my favorite moment of the show was the final scene of "Shoot" which shows Betty, the dutiful housewife shooting her neighbors' pigeons. Beautifully done. Imagine her with the gun in this Blue Velvet suburban scene. Amazing.



Mad Men feels like Desperate Housewives done as a serious cable drama rather than a comedy trying to push a mystery. The mystery of Mad Men is not story/plot but character driven. The layers reveal themselves in ways true to the characters. The comic lines come across as serious in the course of the dialogue but hit with a quick jab. I like how history and 60s pop culture blend into the show. Sterling Cooper (the ad company) even becomes under the employ of Nixon's presidential campaign. It's one thing to read about it in history, but the show provides context especially for those who were Nixon supporters.

One of the more curious sentimental connections occurred for me while cleaning my office just today. I love the pitch Dom gives to Kodak for its slide projection wheel. I found two of those wheels in my office. Actually, I knew they were in there but I never bothered to look inside the box. I'm trying to make a stronger effort of throwing away anything that serves no purpose in my office and considering those wheels had been a part of my 11 years there I had never once looked inside made them good candidates for the dumpster. I hold a few slides up against the fluorescent ceiling lights and see people I know. I look at the slide's cardboard frame and it is dated 1990. The two wheels hold all pictures of my junior year in high school. I see people I haven't seen in nearly 20 years. I couldn't bring myself to throw them away knowing that I have a reunion to plan in a couple years. And I realize just how true the ad pitch was in the TV show. Now, I don't know if that's how the ad campaign really began for Kodak, but this show does an excellent job of framing things from the past in a way we can sentimentally appreciate how the items are viewed in today's society. Even the not so glorious aspects of our society, particularly the way women are treated, though sometimes shown for comedy, make an intriguing comment about where society has come from and where it still needs to go today.



Like I said, I love the opening credits. The score provides a nice complement to what the show ultimately reveals. Plus, writing this reminds me of the way my buddy Eric always examines new product labels...





Here's a clip from the first episode and you can get a taste of the social norms of the day.



This last clip is the one I mentioned about the Kodak wheel. Just watch this and imagine the power of stillness. The show moves at a pace that enhances its tensions. I love these moments that make you view your own world differently. Looking at the slides just doesn't feel quite the same as a slideshow on your laptop. There just seems to be so much more emotion in an activity we all take for granted.




I highly recommend this show. I really needed something like this after all the reality shows that surround me. In particular, all the MTV and E! channel shows my students seem to love. I am so disconnected from my students compared to when I first started teaching. Sad really, but in a good way. I'm glad to be where I am.



My next TV series to catch up on... either The Wire or Battlestar Gallactica... Lance gave me the wire for Christmas and I bought BSG when they were on sale at Costco. This could take up the remainder of my summer.

Licorice

For the past two weeks I've been obsessed with a new candy.

I walked into Target looking for a Bubble Yum 4-pack which my buddy Jack introduced to me. The best part of the gum is that one of the flavors is cotton candy which is hellishly sweet. The second best part of the gum is that it sold for $1. Seriously, what can you get for a dollar that gives you that much happiness? However, the gum appears to be discontinued in that format... probably because they can go back to selling each individual pack for 79 cents... hence the real value of the gum. Jack and I can't find it at any Target--he's searching in Orange County and I have no luck up here in Northern California.

So I'm staring at the candy and nothing appeals to me, although I really shouldn't be eating any. And I see this odd package of soft strawberry licorice that has a special ad remarking that "Look. New item sold here at Target." I fell for it. I was tired of the Twizzlers and other regular licorice that doesn't taste like the red ropes of my youth. For some reason, most of the chewy licorice in the past couple of years tasted too cardboardy and lacked the nostalgia-inducing power my taste buds normally associate with the confection.

I open the bag before I leave the parking lot to sample this new morsel and I suddenly feel nirvana... Ok, it's not that great... but I do find it addictive. I finished the bag the whole way home. I was glad because I thought it might be a bad decision to spend $3 on a 7 oz. bag when I could have had the 20 0z bag of the regular licorice for only 2.29. Suffice it to say, I've bought 8 bags of this stuff in two weeks. My family is now loving it and my friends in 138 at the ballpark. I hope I grow tired of it soon... but then...

...in preparation of this blog entry, I decided to look up the website that's on the bag www.dlea.com.au and the site just teased me further... there's a mango and green apple flavor... but Target does not seem to be carrying those. And in a true case of falling victim to product loyalty... I spent $30 on Amazon.com just before typing this entry to get a month's supply of licorice. I should be disgusted with myself... but I suspect that this might just be the most pleasureable part of my summer... now i'm feeling all depressed... damn! well, i'll drown my sorrow with some licorice that tastes like its part- swedish fish, gummi bear, and licorice...

for those of you who are more eagle-eyed, you'll notice the picture of me was taken during the ninth inning as i put the rally cap on vs. the dodgers... didn't work... again... that's why i needed to take solace in licorice... again...