Wright Brothers Day

Happy Wright Brothers Day, everyone!

You may be thinking, what is Wright Brothers Day, you may ask? Well, it's the day that we honor aviation pioneers Orville and Wilbur Wright. Two of seven children (five survived), the Wright Brothers' skills with mechanics and engineering were encouraged by their mother Susan, who herself had skills in mechanics and carpentry. 

Born in Dayton, Ohio, the Wright boys moved frequently due their father Milton's work as a clergyman. Capitalizing on the bike boom of the 1890s thanks to the invention of the "safety bicycle", the Wrights started their own bicycle repair shop in 1892. In 1896, they started manufacturing their own brand of bicycles. These business ventures allowed the Wrights to do research on a dream they had: a dream...of flying.

Their dream was inspired by a few events in 1896: French-American civil engineer Octave Chanute helped test various gliders along the shores of Lake Michigan. Samuel Langley had managed to successfully fly a fixed-wing aircraft that was powered by steam. However, that craft was unmanned. And also, German engineer Otto Lilienthal was killed when his glider crashed. Drawing upon the work and discoveries these precursors made, the Wrights began their own experimentation. 

The brothers knew that a reliable method of control was needed to truly master flight. Lilienthal's method was to shift his body around. The Wrights realized that a better method was needed. They drew from how birds controlled their direction in flight, as well as how bicyclists changed direction.

In 1900, the Wrights made their way to Kitty Hawk, North Carolina to begin experimenting with manned gliders. 

Green Lantern #162 (March 1983) (Deeter's Story)

The Green Lantern Corps is an organization with lots of members. And every member of them has a story. An origin. How they came to be a Green Lantern.

The cover is a Keith Pollard piece.

"Apprentice"
Writer: Todd Klein
Penciler: Dave Gibbons
Inker: Dave Gibbons
Colorists: Nansi Hoolahan
Letterer: Todd Klein
Editor: Ernie Colon
Executive Editor: Joe Orlando

The story beings late at night. Multiple moons are shining down on an old house with a castle-like tower, showing this story is not set on Earth. A boy with orange skin, hair, and solid black eyes sneaks into a room, where he spies a man enjoying a good night's sleep.

(sleep)

This boy's name is Deeter. He's the young apprentice of the sleeping man. The man's name is Okonoko, and he is a member of the Green Lantern Corps. He's enjoying some rest after a day of ringslinging and protecting his sector: 1110. And his Corps-issued power ring lies on a table next to him as he slumbers. 

Deeter had worked a long time as Okonoko's apprentice. He cooked, he cleaned, and he learned from his master. But what he wanted was the ring. He had seen Okonoko use the ring of the Green Lanterns, and he wanted to use it. To be a Green Lantern in his own right. And on this night, he finally has an opportunity to be the Green Lantern of Sector 1110, even if only for a couple hours.

(smirk)

Deeter does intend to return the ring before his master wakes. He puts it on and tries to make it work. 

Page 89, Panels 2-4

Deeter practices with his master's ring, showing that he has the will to make the ring work. However, he's still new to it. He continues practicing with the ring, his skill growing to the point that he can at the very least create the GL uniform for himself. Unfortunately for little Deeter, Okonoko's home gets a surprise, and a very unwelcome visitor.

Page 90, Panel 3

"CANDYGRAM!"

This big fellow is in the mood for some murdering, and there's a terrified little boy here who will be an excellent victim. Deeter is scared, but the boy is no coward. He tries to use his ring to blast the intruder, but it's not working, presumably due to his fear affecting his will.

(d'oh)

The intruder grabs Deeter and tries to bear hug him to death. the apprentice can't scream, but he finds the strength to remove the ring and toss it away. An explosion erupts.

(explosion)

And another hand picks up the ring. 

Page 92, Panels 3-4

Okonoko is awake, and he is not happy. Deeter ruined his beauty sleep. The apprentice tries to make an excuse, but the Lantern is in no mood to hear it.

(shut up)

His apprentice was a moron, and his place is wrecked. He tells Deeter to grab a mop and clean the mess up. As Deeter gets to work, Okonoko allows himself a small smile, satisfied that the boy learned a lesson. He holds the head of the intruder behind his back, showing the explosion killed him. The narrator implies that he is an older Deeter.

I enjoyed this little story, despite it having a couple of flaws. Mainly, Green Lantern rings really should have security features to prevent people stealing and using them, like a biorhythm reader or something like that. And I thought at that time, Green Lanterns weren't allowed to use lethal force. This was a pre-Sinestro Corps War story, after all. But then again, maybe the intruder was killed from the shrapnel of the explosion, not directly by the ring itself. 

Dave Gibbons' art is spectacular. It's clean and detailed. I think he also has a strong sense of storytelling. 

If you want to read this story for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2008 trade paperback Green Lantern: In Brightest Day. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other!  

Captain America: Brave New World Trailer, My Thoughts

The Mighty Marvel Cinematic Universe marches on, and we're not entering a Brave New World! That's right! After Sam Wilson fully took up the mantle of Captain America in The Falcon and the Winter Soldier, he;s heading for his latest high-flying adventure! Let's look at the trailer!

Oh God, why is Isaish Brdley in jail?! He wasn't even at that party! Friggin' cops!

(seriously)

God, I'd rather have Thaddeus Ross as President right now. He'd be a lot better than...what is coming next.

(shudder)

Yeah, it's pretty clear that Isaiah was brainwashed. Or a certain Miss Harkness was in the mood to be a jerk...

I wouldn't have called the Chitauri invasion a war, per se. Unless Ross was referring to Afghanistan. 

Sam Wilson may not be Steve Rogers, but he is Captain America.

(salute)

Oh ho, superhero landing! That ruled!

(thumbs up)

Weaponizing the shockwave! That was awesome!

(woo-hoo)

I love that dual-shot of Ross and Cap. 

I think we just saw the Leader. 

Oh my God, Tiamat from Eternals! 

You know, in the comics, Sidewinder (who Giancarlo Esposito is playing in this movie), has a teleporting cloak. Basically, the cloak has gadgetry in it that allows him to teleport anything he wraps in it away. I wish they let him have that here. That would rule. Maybe they can make it into a coat here. A stylish coat. Even give it the high collar like in the comics.

That's what happens when Ross doesn't get his coffee. Or when someone asks Harrison Ford about Star Wars lore.

DUDE, HE JUST CUT THROUGH THE CAR WITH HIS WINGS! THAT WAS AWESOME! 

Poinsettia Day

 Happy Poinsettia Day!

What is "Poinsettia Day", you may ask yourself. Well, a poinsettia is a species of flowering plant native to Mexico and Central America. In the wild, poinsettias have a range from Mexico to Guatemala, growing in tropical dry forests. Sadly, their homes have been threatened by unregulated deforestations. 

German scientist Johann Friedrich Klotzsch was the first European to describe the flower in 1834, when it was known as the "Mexican flame flower" or the "painted leaf". However, the poinsettia was actually first cultivated long beforehand by the Aztecs. The Aztecs would use the plant to make red dye for clothing as well as an antipyretic (fever-reducing) medicine. In fact, King Montezuma would adorn his palace with poinsettias, seeing them as a gift from the gods. 

So, where does the name "poinsettia" come from? Well, it came from Joel Roberts Poinsett, who was the United States' first ambassador to Mexico. A botanist, he introduced the flower to the United States in the 1820s. 

An urban legend regarding poinsettias is that they are very toxic flowers. Yes, exposure to the plant can cause some to develop skin rashes, and ingestion can cause diarrhea and nausea, but poinsettias are not remotely as dangerous as believed.  

Poinsettias are a flower associated with Christmas. When did this start? In 16th century Mexico. Legend goes there was this young girl named Pepita or Maria. She wanted to provide a gift to celebrate the birth of Jesus. However, she was very poor, and could not buy a gift. An angel inspired her to basically gather some flowers and put them on the church altar. Those weeds would sprout poinsettias. In the 17th century, Franciscan friars in the country would use poinsettias in their Christmas celebrations, the star-shaped flowers seen as a symbol of the Star of Bethlehem, and the red coloring symbolizing Jesus's crucifixion. 

In the United States, Paul Ecke Junior would be responsible for the association between poinsettias and Christmas. The grandson of a German immigrant named Albert Ecke, the Ecke family were in the business of selling poinsettias. Ecke Junior would send poinsettias to various TV stations across the country to display from Thanksgiving to Christmas as a way to promote his family's business. He himself would even appear on The Tonight Show. 

In 2002, Congress passed a resolution recognizing this day as National Poinsettia Day. This day also honors Joel Poinsett, who died on this day in 1851. 

So, yeah. This day actually has a very fascinating history. I hope you had some fun learning it. Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! Stay safe, stay healthy, stay home, wash your hands often, wear a mask, and get your vaccine/booster! See you next time! 

International Mountain Day

Happy International Mountain Day!

This day is about celebrating the mountain. Now you may be thinking "Why celebrate mountains? What's the big deal about mountains?" Well, for one...mountains are neat. You ever seen a mountain? Mountains are pretty cool. 

Mountains are believed to be formed by tectonic forces, or eruptions. Like volcanic ones. Mountains can have a variety of ecosystems on them because they're so big that different elevations can have different climates. A famous example, the tops of mountains can be pretty cold.

The tallest land-based mountain on Earth is Mount Everest, located in the Himalayas. Its summit is over 29,000 feet above sea level. However, the biggest mountain on Earth is actually Mauna Kea, a dormant volcano in Hawaii. The reason why Everest seems taller is because most of Mauna Kea is underwater. From its base to the top, it's believed to be over 30,610 feet tall.  

This day was established by the United Nations General Assembly in 2003. Mountains cover about 30% of the Earth's surface, and they are very sensitive to climate change.

Rita's Rewind Launch Trailer, My Thoughts

 If you were a kid growing up in the 1990s, you may have been caught up in a little TV show called Mighty Morphin' Power Rangers. An edited adaptation of the Japanese tokusatsu show Kyorou Sentai Zyuranger (Basically they shot new footage around the scenes of the costumed fighting and the giant robots), the series was a massive hit. It told the tale of a group of "teenagers with attitude", given the ability to transform into powerful warriors in colorful costumes that could also summon powerful robotic dinosaurs that can combine into a giant humanoid robot and all for the purpose of fighting monsters sent by the evil witch Rita Repulsa (Bandora in the original Japanese) for the purpose of conquering the Earth. 

MMPR was a massive hit, spawning a franchise that continued on today. Naturally, a long-running franchise like this would touch on other forms of media, including video games. The first Power Rangers games came out during the 16-bit era, and games have been made based on various incarnations of the Rangers ever since. 

The Joker #1 (May 1975)

Batman is one of DC Comics' oldest and most iconic superheroes. Naturally, considering his significance to the DC Universe, it makes sense that many of his supporting cast would also become household names, both heroic and villainous. And arguable one of Batman's most iconic villains is the Ace of Knaves, the Clown Prince of Crime, the Harlequin of Hate, the Joker.

Created by Bill Finger, Bob Kane, and Jerry Robinson (although their accounts differed on how he came to be), and first appearing in Batman #1 (Spring 1940), the Joker and the Dark Knight have been clashing since nearly the beginning. Much like Batman himself, the Joker has undergone many changes over the years, from criminal mastermind to childish prankster to crazed psycho killer.

The Joker would become one of Batman's most popular villains, and he would even face other superheroes like Superman. He and Batman are often seen as two sides of the same coin in a way, Batman seeking to create order out of a chaotic world, and the Joker wanting to turn an orderly world into a chaotic mess.

The Joker is also unique as he's one of the few American comic book villains to have never been given a definitive origin. The closest to one was provided in The Killing Joke, but considering that came from the Joker himself, it can be seen as unreliable. 

The comic we're looking at here is the first issue of his first ever on-going series. thanks to DC feeling rather experimental in the 1970s. It lasted for nine issues, with a tenth not getting published due to the series' cancellation. It would finally be published in the 2019 omnibus The Joker: The Bronze Age Omnibus. This is Joker #1!

The cover is a Dick Giordano piece. It's really cool. It depicts our man tearing a poster of Batman off the wall in front of his fellow Batman rogues, proclaiming that this magazine belongs to him, and he is Batman's number one foe! I love this cover. It fits the character of the Joker perfectly, his showmanship and his ego. 

"The Joker's Double Jeopardy!" 
Writer: Dennis O'Neil
Penciler: Irv Novick
Inker: Dick Giordano
Letterer: Unknown
Colorist: Unknown
Editor: Julius Schwartz
Executive Editor: Julius Schwartz

The story begins in Arkham Asylum, the mental hospital/jail that many of the Dark Knight's rogues gallery end up in when they're not performing their criminal activities fueled by their own madness. The Joker is there, when he spots his fellow Gotham rogue Harvey "Two-Face" Dent run by, accompanied by an accomplice of his: a man dressed like a stereotypical matador named Alvarez.

Two-Face is making his escape from Arkham, thanks to gas being slipped into the ventilation system. During the escape, the Joker asked if he could be broken out as well, but Alvarez said no. After all, he considers Two-Face a greater criminal mastermind than the Clown Prince of Crime. Having a very large, yet fragile ego, the Joker felt extremely insulted by this. The next day, the inmates are having some outside exercise time in the Asylum's courtyard. The Joker had found a way to occupy himself. 

Thing is, these aren't ordinary balloons. The Harlequin of Hate uses one to float away to freedom. One of the guards tries to shoot him down, but the Joker somehow switched out his pistol for a gag toy. The escaped criminal floats to suburban Gotham. Thanks to a newspaper, he learns Batman is in Paris at the moment. As such, he doesn't need to worry about the Dark Knight bothering him right now.

Later on, the Joker heads out to his hideout, where he meets up with a couple of his men. The Joker is still stinging over Alvarez's remark that Two-Face is a better criminal than him, and he wants to show the ex-district attorney up. 

One of the Joker's men points out that Dent and Alvarez have rented out the top two floors of a hotel, and they have gunmen posted at all the doors. And it can be assumed they would have no qualms giving the Joker a deadly lead injection. But the Joker is not worried. Heck, the man loves a challenge!

Over at the hotel, Alvarez explains why he helped free Two-Face. You see, a great treasure from his home country has been brought over to the United States. The story never quite goes into reasons why, but Alvarez wants this treasure back in his home. Two-Face isn't interested, until he learns exactly what this "treasure" is: a set of rare gold doubloons, with a face on each side. Two-faced coins. This gets the ex-DA's attention, so he lets his trademark double-sided coin decide to go through with it with a flip. Unscarred face wins, he backs out. Scarred side wins, he goes through with it.

Looks like Alvarez has his services, after all. A knock is heard at the door. Alvarez isn't worried, he just ordered a meal from room service. After all, this hotel has excellent ham. Mmm, ham...

However, it's not ham that arrives, it's the Joker. He hits Alvarez and a bodyguard with acid pies, but Two-Face manages to get away, thanks to his clocking the Joker with a bowl of pears. Get it? Pears? Pronounced the same as "pairs". It's no matter. Joker overheard them planning to get the doubloons. So, he has a new plan. 

He's going to steal them himself, humiliating Two-Face. That night, Joker breaks into the museum where the doubloons are being held. He knows Two-Face will strike tomorrow as that's the second day of the month and considering his whole "obsession with two" gimmick, that's likely when he'll go after the coins. Of course, there's also the 12th and 22nd. He would likely strike on those days, too.

Anyway, the Joker just has to wait for Harvey to show up. And when he does, POW! Right in the kisser! Thing is, Two-Face managed to outsmart the Joker.

The Joker is naturally caught off-guard. This wasn't the 2nd yet! Thing is, it technically is. Time has passed while the Joker waited, and the time is now 2 AM on the 2nd day of the month. So, yeah. Anyway, Harvey Dent ties Joker to a power saw.

He flips his coin. Good head wins, the Joker is spared. Scarred head wins, the Joker dies. The scarred head won, so Two-Face turns the saw on. The Joker wonders how this deathtrap relates to the number two. After all, that's his gimmick. The answer is simple. The saw will cut Joker in two. 

Instead of staying and making sure that the Joker does indeed get cut in half, Two-Face leaves. After all, he has a robbery to get to, and time is short.

Thing is, the Joker has tussled with the Dark Knight many times over the years. As such, he's learned one lesson from all of his brawls with the Batman:

Exactly. He uses his acid-squirting flower to free himself. Back in the museum's main hall, Commissioner Gordon is trying to assure a Mr. Kemp, presumably a higher-up at the museum, that the doubloons are perfectly safe. He has his best men guarding them. Kemp is...understandably concerned. After all, this is Gotham. Kemp's fears are seemingly realized when the lights go out. Gordon tells his men to stay alert.

The lights then come back on, and the doubloons are still there. They are safe. Or are they?

Yeah, turns out that blackout wasn't a random short circuit. Two-Face caused it so he could sneak a magnet in to lift out the real loot and leave some fake doubloons in its place so no one would be the wiser. 

Two-Face finds himself confronted by the now-free Joker. The two fight, but the Clown Prince of Crime gets the better of the former DA with some fake hair and his lapels being covered in glue. The two are found by the cops, and we get another twist: The doubloons that Two-Face stole...were also fake.

Yeah, it turns out the ex-DA's buddy Alvarez had already pulled the "steal the doubloons and leave fakes in their place trick" before they left his homeland. The Batman discovered this previously. Alvarez had been using Two-Face to cover his tracks. As for Alvarez himself? It turns out he survived the Joker's acid facial and is recovering from the burns in a jail hospital. The story ends with the Joker having a laugh about the whole thing. 

I thought this comic was...okay. The idea of a comic focusing on a supervillain is indeed an interesting one. I think it's a neat idea to see a supervillain's encounters with superheroes and other supervillains through their perspective. However, due to the Comics Code at the time, I can imagine that writing such a series would be rather difficult, as the stories had to end with the villain being caught. Not to mention having to show the villains' schemes failing all the time. But in this particular story's case, I wish that the final twist was foreshadowed more. It came completely out of nowhere. It felt like that twist was thrown in just to give Joker a "victory" that he had no hand in, and we were already stretching things with the Joker magically replacing that guard's gun when he escaped. 

There is one thing I do like about this comic is that it helps show one big thing about the Joker: His ego. The Joker's ego is massive, yet it's fragile. He cannot stand being passed over. Also, the art is pretty nifty. Irv Novick is a great artist.

If you want to read this for yourself, I recommend tracking down the 2013 trade paperback The Joker: The Clown Prince of Crime. Thanks for reading this blog entry! Thanks for reading this blog entry! If you liked it, show it off! Take care of yourselves and each other! See you next time!