Mary Louise Eklund

Blog

  • Michael, Michael How Does Your Garden Grow?

    Michael, Michael How Does Your Garden Grow?

    Mike's garden

    I’m not a gardener, never have been, never will be. It’s just not in me. I find it miserable work. Though I enjoy the fruits of the labor be they flowers, vegetables, or fruit. If I had to do it I would. Mike on the other hand finds it relaxing. He likes to garden and looks forward to it. It’s beyond me just like my comic book hobby is beyond him. He appreciates it makes me happy. I appreciate produce and flowers.

    basket full of tomatoes of various sizes

    Join me as I checked in on Mike’s garden. It’s coming along fine. The kritters enjoyed watching me take photos of the garden. Except Rappy, she slept in the sun. Can’t say I blame her.

    How in the heck Mike gets in there to bring in the harvests he does is beyond me. I think of gardens as being measured in portions of an acre with nice wide rows not a jungle where if you step wrong you crush your next harvest. It’s his garden done his way. Left to me, I’d be living in a condo but it makes him happy. So there for the dense garden makes me happy.

    (more…)

  • Comic Comments – A Little Impossible

    Comic Comments – A Little Impossible

    Wolverine and The X-Men Issue 8

    This is a great issue! I truly enjoyed the two stories in this stand alone issue 8 of Wolverine and the X-Men. The cover gives away the surprise ending of the last issue. Fleeing the casino planet with Quentin Quire Logan gets zapped by some odd beam. Once in the spaceship he finds his legs are twisted out of shape! HOW his bones are admantium the indestructible metal! Well this issue explains it all. In the meantime Logan is stuck being headmaster from a wheelchair. Sound familiar?

    Credits, can’t go on without the credits. First the Dedication – The issue was dedicated to the memory of Mike Pandel. The rest of the credits are as follows: Jason Aaron, Writer; Chris Bachalo, Penciler/Colorist; Tim Townsend, Inker; Rob Steen, Letterer; Irene Y. Lee, Production; Jordan D. White, Assistant Editor; Daniel Ketchum, Associate Editor; Nick Lowe, Editor; Axel Alonso, Editor in Chief; Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer; Dan Buckley, Publisher; and Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

    All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

    First the art, I had trepidations with the return of Bachalo as primary artist. I did not like his launching of the series. I still don’t like his fight scenes. However his other scenes have been decluttered and are better. Logan’s tie doesn’t curl over his shoulder like a greyhound tail that has to poop. There is improvement and I get that this style is for a younger audience than me. It’s still overly stylized for my tastes, has photo backgrounds I don’t like, and occasionally the glowy outlines that annoy me show up. BUT over the first few issues this is a vast improvement. I read it and enjoyed it. I didn’t cringe once.

    The cover is one of those that’s visually effective but never happens in the book. Logan talks about being rolled into a fight but it doesn’t happen. He doesn’t don his X-Force costume. He is wheelchair bound. That’s about it. I feel it’s a bit dark in printing and more contrast would make it pop.

    As for the stories there’s two going on. One is about Logan’s legs and needing to get the matter transducer thingy to fix them. The Bamfs have broken Hank’s transducer. Hank sets out to borrow one from his SWORD girlfriend at her space station. The kids get wind that is what the Headmaster needs to fix his legs so with Quentin’s help they are off to get that one from the casino.

    Hanks doesn’t meet his paramour Abigail but instead gets into a space battle with Sabertooth. OMG Sabes is back here and running with the prepubescent HellFire Club. Sabes said the way to get the Jean Grey School For Higher Learning was to go for the heart of the school. I’m still not clear as to why these brats want to destroy the school but oh, well. They determine the heart is Hank and off Sabertooth goes to get ‘im.

    **Please note my full on rant about how I hate that Sabertooth is back from the dead is partially here and partially saved for the Wolverine Vol 4 Sabertooth Reborn arc.**

    This is a good story we learn that the kids are behind their school and their headmaster. Logan learns a good lesson from them under the leadership of Angel (Warren). The battle of Beast and Sabertooth is a nice twist on the usual battle between Logan and Sabes. The dialogue throughout is snappy and true to the characters. I enjoyed it immensely but was very sad to see the Avenger vs X-Men big event crap comes in to disrupt what had developed into a fun and enjoyable title. This title was bringing back all I loved about the X-Men back in the day, the school aspects with the adventure and fun. My full on rant about that will be in my next Comic Comments. Let’s just say we are stuck with it until at least issue 17.

    You know what is coming next – Spoilery comments on pages and panels.

    (more…)

  • Milwaukee Lake Shore Parks Watch the Skies

    Milwaukee Lake Shore Parks Watch the Skies

    Three planes make smoke loop in sky

    On Sunday Mike and I went to the Milwaukee Air Show. It’s held out over Lake Michigan. It’s free you just have to stake a seat in one of the many beaches or parks along the lake shore in Milwaukee. We chose to pay for parking it was convenient and the money went to the parks that were hosting the event. We chose to sit near the marina and watch the planes over the masts of the sailboats.

    It started at 10am. However we didn’t wake until 9am, having an aversion to setting alarms on the weekends. We had flopped into bed pleasantly exhausted from the picnic, zoo viewing, and car shopping (still haven’t bought). Needless to say we didn’t hop in the car straight from bed to race the hour to Milwaukee. Instead we got ready quickly and got up there after it started. When we spotted the loop in the air there we knew we were getting close.

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    On the drive in we passed the skyline and the Art museum. I started spotting planes and enjoy the parks. I’d not been down to the parks on the lake shore they were beautiful on the way in and out. I can see why they are gold medal winners. If you visit Milwaukee in Spring or Fall (too hot in Summer and OOH SNOW ick in Winter) take drive down and visit the parks. Maybe enjoy a stroll there after taking in the Art Museum!

    Milwaukee, Wisconsin

    We saw the water walker. It’s an apparatus where you have jets of water pumped down and they lift you up. There’s photos of it after the jump and a few more on my Flickr. Mike had read about it in the Sunday paper. You can rent it by the hour. Interesting to watch that’s for sure not sure I’d want to do it. It looks hard to keep balance to me. Then again I’m not known for coordination, that’s why they didn’t name me Grace.

    It was a great day on lake enjoying beautiful weather, watching planes, and relaxing. Enjoy the photos of the day, you can click on one and be taken to my Flickr account where there are more for the browsing.

    (more…)

  • Comic Comments – Mutatis Mutandis

    Comic Comments – Mutatis Mutandis

    Wolverine and the X-Men Issue 5

    No your eyes aren’t deceiving you, that’s a very pregnant Kitty on the cover there. How and why she got that way is a very important part of this arc. The other key factor is the school needs money. Two story lines run in the arc what’s happening at the school and what’s happening with Logan trying to fund the school. Neither are going smoothly. It all plays out in Wolverine and The X-Men issues 5 – 7.

    If you’ve been reading these you know what’s next, yep giving credit to the talent that brought us these books. So here goes: Jason Aaron, Writer;  Nick Bradshaw, Pencils; Nick Bradshaw & Walden Wong, Inks Issue 5; Walden Wong, Jay Leisten, Norman Lee, & Cam Smith, Inks Issue 6; Walden Wong, Norman Lee, & Nick Bradshaw, Inks Issue 7; Justin Ponsor, Colorist Issues 5 & 7; Justin Ponsor & Matthew Wilson, Colorists Issue 6; Nick Bradshaw & Frank Martin, Cover Issue 5; Nick Bradshaw & Morry Hollowell, Cover Issues 6 & 7; Rob Steen, Letterer; Irene Y. Lee, Production; Jordan D. White, Assistant Editor; Daniel Ketchum, Associate Editor; Nick Lowe, Editor; Axel Alonso, Editor In Chief; Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer; Dan Buckley, Publisher; and Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

    All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

    Wolverine and the X-Men Issue 6

    First off the money problems at the school are something I love. Why? Because it’s a real world problem that adults have. Logan is now trying hard to be the adult, take responsibility for the children, and do the right thing. One of these is dealing with the money issue with letting the kids know it’s a worry. The hitch is Logan’s not quite got that last one down. He’s grabbed Quentin the Omega psychic mutant trouble making student to come with him to help count cards and see others hands at a space casino. (More damn aliens in my X-Men!  I stuck fingers in my ears went LA-LA-LA and voila it was a rich mutant casino) Whoa there Logan this doesn’t sound like a good idea from the start!  It’s not but it plays out with comedy and results that even Logan didn’t expect.  In the end he’s getting more like Xavier every day!

    The story is Kitty and her sudden pregnancy.  Now she’s shocked, it’s been some time since she and Colossus split up.  In the Schism she went with Logan agreeing with his philosophy.  Colossus stayed with Scott agreeing with him.  The couple regretted not coming to terms but with such differences they couldn’t continue.  Hank is all understanding when she come into medical and excited about being Uncle Hank, except he finds out she’s not preggers she’s infected!  She’s infected with brood (more damn aliens).  As members of the staff shrink down to deal with that the school is under attack AGAIN!  Except we learn that Kitty’s pregnancy was just a diversion from the real goal of the attackers.

    Wolverine and the X-Men Issue 7

    I enjoyed this issue.  It has Logan being his own headmaster.  No Xavier wouldn’t have funded the school in this manner but it’s pure Logan and I loved it.  The school coping with multiple crises at once reminded me of the old day and why I read X-Men all those years ago.  To see a school of cool mutant kids led by cool mutant heroes try hard to just be a school.  It wasn’t about setting a mutant agenda to rule the humans but rather just to be part of society and deal with threats to the peace of that blended society.  Great story fun arc!

    The interior art is fun and I enjoyed it.  There were little things that irked me.  Logan’s hat when at the Worthington Industries didn’t fit right – that bugged me.  It’s clean, it’s clear, it’s straight forward.  It’s not stylized and overly cluttered.  I enjoy reading it and found it did support the story rather than detract from it.  At times I feel it’s a bit cartoonish for what is rated as a more mature comic but only a tad.  I found it highly enjoyable.

    The covers are fun.  Issue 6 is my favorite of course except for the aliens.  NO ALIENS PLEASE!  I thought the cover for issue 7 looked too busy and too tabloid or Vogue-ish.  I mean the “X-Man MUST DIE!” and “LOST INSIDE KITTY PRYDE” headlines with the duo art brought that to my mind.  Oh and even in an Pym-particle suit Bobby is iced up…  WHY?!?

    Next is a stand alone issue entitled A Little Impossible. This is the last issue before the Avengers Versus X-Men craptastic over arching Marvel Universe wide story comes marching in to disrupt everything.  I’ll rant more on that later but I think you get the gist of where I’ll be heading.

    There be spoilery bits after the jump! It’s all comments and laughs on a few specific panels and pages.

    (more…)

  • Lunch With The Animals

    Lunch With The Animals

    Racine Zoological Gardens, Racine, Wisconsin

    Saturday Mike’s employer (he’s a reservist) had their annual company picnic at the Racine zoo. It was a lovely day for it. Clear, sunny, not too hot, great weather for a picnic. The zoo sits right on the shore of Lake Michigan so we added the lake breezes as a bonus.

    Racine Zoological Gardens, Racine, Wisconsin

    The great thing about this picnic is we didn’t have to haul food and tend it. We just showed up and were treated to a great meal and then walked it off looking at the sights and animals of the zoo. Join me for a photo tour. If you want more click an image to be taken to my Flickr account and you surf images there until your heart is content.

    (more…)

  • Out Gathering Fuel for the Creative Fire

    Out Gathering Fuel for the Creative Fire

    It’s been a busy weekend of fun.  Don’t worry I’ve not forgotten you.  I’ve been out making photos of all the doin’s.  I’ll be sure to share once I get them all sorted out.  That should be Monday or Tuesday depending on how long the visit to the DMV takes on Monday.  Yeah, that shouldn’t take long.

    A Comic Comment will be up on Monday.

    Until then enjoy a bloom from a butterfly bush.

    purple flower bloom

  • Comic Comments – Just Another Day In Westchester County

    Comic Comments – Just Another Day In Westchester County

    Wolverine and the X-men Issue 4

    In Wolverine and the X-Men, issue 4 we get a look at the staff and students at Logan’s (yes I’m shifting to calling him Logan since that’s what the characters call him) school, The Jean Grey School for Higher Learning.

    As always I love to give credit where credit is due. The credits for this issue are: Jason Aaron, Writer; Nick Bradshaw, Artist; Justin Ponsor, Colorist; Nick Bradshaw & Frank Martin, Cover Artists; Rob Steen, Letterer; Irene Y. Lee, Production’ Jordan D. White, Assistant Editor; Daniel Ketchum, Associate Editor; Nick Lowe, Editor; Axel Alonso, Editor In Chief; Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer; Dan Buckley, Publisher; and Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

    All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

    I have to say I ADORE this cover. The sign on his back is PERFECT! I like he’s cutting the board in frustration. The Bamfs are running loose. It’s mentioned in the staff meeting in the issue that the Bamfs found Logan’s stash of martial arts instruction videos and warn him to keep his other *wink wink nudge nudge** video collection more secure.

    Warren Worthington comes in as a student which is one of the main themes of this issue. The former X-Man comes in as a student not a professor because he’s had his mind wiped. Also an Apocalypse clone checks in as a student. We see a future flash of how these students work together as a team when they are adults.

    Logan considers how to balance being a Headmaster who teaches English Lit among other things with his night job as Wolverine on the X-Force team. He comes clean with his staff about what he’s doing on X-Force. None are happy about it but some take the news better than others.

    This is the kind of story I enjoy from time to time. We see how life is day-to-day at a school run by superheroes. It’s fun to see them as people not as just fighters. I like that they fret over finances, tater tot complaints, and getting new students to fit into the dynamic of the classroom. It well done and gives us a feel for how Logan’s school differs from Xavier’s school.

    As for the art, OH THANK GOODNESS it’s better, much much much better than that first arc. I don’t cringe reading it. I can tell what’s going on and who is who. I like it much better. Still it’s not my favorite and looks a bit too, cartoonish? clean? Something… but if given a choice of this or that. I’d take this every time! Here the bodies are correctly proportional and it’s not hard to tell who is who.

    This issue ends with a real surprise for Kitty. It’s the basis of the next arc, Mutatis Mutandis. That arc takes us through Wolverine and the X-Men issues 5-7.

    After the jump will come comments on specific panels, might be considered spoilery by some. You have been warned.

    (more…)

  • Love Was Found On Top of The Fridge

    Love Was Found On Top of The Fridge

    There was a very sad crisis at my house this morning.  The new bag of doggie biscuits could not be found.  I KNOW tragedy of epic proportions!  Call in the Avengers! Where is the Closer when you need her?  It was sad and perplexing.

    Sad Rappy face

    I did not feel well last night.  I went to bed early.  The doggie treat jar was empty and is our ritual before I go to bed I let her out and gave her a treat.  Not feeling well I didn’t take time to wash the jar and put the new treats in it.  I just left the bag of treats on the counter. Aaron and Sara came home to make their dinner as I was heading off to bed.  I didn’t care all I wanted was bed.

    Cut to 5am this morning, doggie wanted out.  I got up and let her out.  I reached into the treat jar.  Not normal time for a treat but I was still groggy and not up to my usual form.  It was empty.  My sleep rattled brain remembered I’d left the bag out.  I reached for it in the dark, not there.  I flipped on the light and looked around the kitchen.  Dirty dishes piled in the sink, ran water in them.  Yep Aaron’s cooked and moved the treats but where?  Dunno.  Oh well she’s not supposed to get a treat now any way.  I turned off the light and shuffled to bed leaving a very dejected greyhound in my wake.

    “But, but you rattled the treat jar…. I was a good girl.  You were going to give me a tasty treat.  What, what happened? ”  Rappy sighed heavily and was left staring at the empty jar.  “Momma don’t love me no more.”

    Worried Rappy face

    Then this morning I got up and went through the morning routine.  Rappy out and in again.  This time it’s morning treat time.  We start and end our days together with tasty basted biscuit treat of love.  It’s been our routine for years.  I reach for the jar and remember, “Oh yeah Aaron.”  I look about the kitchen no treat bag.  I shout up to ask Aaron what he did with it.  He doesn’t remember.  I don’t find it in the storage cubby, in the pantry, in the dog food drawer or cabinet.  It’s gone.  I show Rappy my empty hands and tell her Aaron ate all the treats.  She’s dejected and shuffles off to her day bed in my office.

    I take to emptying the dishwasher and loading the dishes in the sink into it.  I’m puzzling over where that bag could have gone.  Then I see it!  It’s on top of the fridge!  I’m short I don’t always look up for something.  Much less look for doggie treats in non doggie places.  Still I found it!  The tasty basted biscuit treat of love are back!

    dog treat

    I immediately called Rappy, the depressed old greyhound that had moped about the corners of my morning. “Here girl!” I handed her two, yes TWO, treats one stacked on top of the other. I found them!  Her eyes lit up, her ears went up, her back feet did the happy tap dance with the big tail wags. “MOMMA STILL LOVES ME!” She roo’d. She grabbed the treats and ran to her bed to enjoy them.

    Rappy eating treats in her bed

    I enjoyed watching her savor them. Then I went and filled up the empty treat jar. All is right with the furry household now. Momma loves Rappy. The treat jar is full. Life is as it should be for doggie and me. If only I could get my printer working. Maybe I should show it the full treat jar…

    Dog treats in the jar

  • Comic Comments – Welcome to the X-Men! Now Die!

    Comic Comments – Welcome to the X-Men! Now Die!

    WXM 1 Cover

    This story kicks off the Wolverine And The X-Men series. It’s a three issue arc. James “Logan” Howlett, Headmaster as it now says on his new business cards, is facing the first day at his new school. The story opens up with him giving Professor Xavier a tour. Then the next day the New York State board of education inspectors make a visit to 1407 Graymalkin Lane, Salem Center, New York (that’s in Westchester county ya know) to inspect the school and finalize its accreditation. To say thinks didn’t go smoothly would be an understatement.

    If no issue is noted after their credit they deserve credit for all three issues: Jason Aaron, Writer; Chris Bachalo, Pencils & Colors Issues 1 & 2; Chris Bachalo, Duncan Rouleau & Matteo Saleara, Pencils Issue 3; Tim Townsend, Jaime Mendoza & Al Vey, Inks Issue 1; Tim Townsend & Jaime Mendoza, Inks Issue 2; Tim Townsend, Jaime Mendoza, Al Vey, Mark Irwin, Victor Olazaba, Duncan Rouleau, & Matteo Scalera, Inkers Issue 3; Chris Bachalo & Jason Keith, Colors Issue 2; Rob Steen, Letters’ Chris Bachalo, Cover Issue 1 shown here; Chris Bachalo & Tim Townsend, Cover Issue 2 & 3; Irene Y Lee, Production, Jordan D. White, Assistant Editor; Daniel Ketchum, Associate Editor Issue 2 & 3; Nick Lowe, Editor; Axel Alonso, Editor In Cheif; Joe Quesada, Chief Creative Officer, Dan Cuckley Publisher, Alan Fine, Executive Producer.

    All images are the property of their owners I reproduce them here under the Fair Use Doctrine of the copyright law for commentary and critique. No more than three pages total from any one issue is reproduced.

    Wolverine and The X-Men Issue 2

    If I was to sum up this arc for me it would be stellar writing and detestable art. I know there are people out there who like this art. I am NOT one of them. I find it overly stylized and way too busy. There is no realistic anatomy in any of the figures. If not told by the dialogue I’d not recognize some of the main X-Men characters by their appearance. The proportions of the figures morph constantly in relation to each other and heck on body part to another. There are times I can’t tell what the heck is going on visually! I had to rely on the writing to tell me. Thank goodness that was good.

    I cringed at the art when reading but kept reading because the writing was wonderful. The dialogue was snappy, the characters were true to themselves but were obviously out of their comfort zones. That makes a good story, stories move forward by character change/growth. It could be for the better or for the worse but we watch/read to see how characters change. This was doing it so well as far as the writing goes.

    There were some fun extras tied to this launch of a continuing series. First off was the flyer for the school. Look James teaches three classes! Witness to history, the art of fighting without fighting and the art of fighting with fighting. He’s also scheduled a field trip to his favorite sushi restaurant. The guy is trying.

    Wolverine and The X-Men Issue 3

    He’s not the only one that steps up to the plate and matures here. Bobby Drake, Iceman, finally gets a chance to mature. He was one of the original X-Men but has perpetually been treated as a teenager/junior member. Here he’s a full fledged professor and told by James to use his full potential. He remembers this and taps into aspects of his abilities he’s not used before to help save the day.

    Oh and we learn who is James “Logan” Howlett’s lawyer. It’s Matt Murdock, Daredevil! That was good.

    There are things I don’t like in the story. I don’t like the aliens there. I sing la-la-la-la in my head and they are just other mutants. I don’t like a children’s Hellfire Club. Do your research on the REAL Hellfire Club is – it’s a sex club, a club for rakes like Ben Franklin. Today it’s an S&M club. That’s why all the corsets, whips, and such in the original Marvel villains Hellfire Club. It was inspired by real life. To have rich brats doing it was just so not right.

    Also why didn’t they tell the staff, Hank especially, that TODAY IS INSPECTION DAY? Hmm? Look Hank is the known political animal on the team (pun intended). He’s always been good at working through the system. So why in the world is he taken by surprise if James knows enough to but on the weird tie. (more about that after the jump)

    Still with all its faults I loved the series. Why? Because it’s something we’ve not seen before. It’s new, it’s fresh, it’s different, it’s hideous art! As a Wolverine fan I’m so starved for good well written new stuff that goes to different places than where we’ve been that I lapped this up.

    Next is a stand alone story entitled Just Another Day in Westchester County which is Issue 4 of Wolverine and the X-Men. Stay tuned for the spoilery bits.

    (more…)

  • A Walk In Time Down Gay Street

    A Walk In Time Down Gay Street

    Gay Street, Knoxville, Tennessee

    I grew up with Knoxville, Tennessee being one of the big towns.  If we wanted something and we couldn’t get it in town (Greeneville, Tennessee)  one of the big towns to go for it would be Knoxville.  We went there to do back to school shopping.  We went there for Spring clothes shopping.  We went there for concerts.  We went there for just released movies. It was the big town with more to offer.

    In my day the place we went was West Towne Mall.  Near that was a the hip cool place to get record albums (yep talkin’ vinyl here) the day they were released, Cats Records.  Couldn’t get albums until a week maybe two after release in Greeneville.  Just like movies you had wait for them to be out a bit to make it down the pipeline to Greeneville.

    Gay Street, Knoxville, Tennessee

    Back in my grandmother’s day the hub of action in Knoxville was downtown.  Gay Street was where it happened. That’s where her daddy took her shopping and where she went shopping with my Papaw in tow.

    I have a photo of them made by a street photographer on Gay Street. We think it was the mid to late 1930s when this was taken. In those days a street photographer made your picture then tried to sell it to you.  Kinda like what we see at amusement parks today but then it was in busy places, like Gay Street.

    (more…)