Stand-up tragedy

Made it through my annual dental checkup unscathed. Huzzah!

COMIC COVER OF THE WEEK

By Rahzzah. Lobo's been irrelevant since the '90s, but this is nice.

SONGS OF THE WEEK

* "Kung Fu Jumpstyle" by Kaien Nuen (China) - Track has been out for months. Fun-ass clip is new.

* "Que Me Quiten" by Maria Arnal (Spain) - For Colors. Unusual. Really builds in such a short time.

* "Vem Du An Ar" by Keisha (Sweden) - ADORE this. A challenger to Veronica Maggio's pop throne?

* "Beat SID" by TRS (Germany?) - On da C64. Bomb The Bass continuing to inspire decades later.

* "Kyrgyzstan" by Amirchik (Kyrgyzstan) - Catchy celebration of his homeland and its nomadic heritage. 

* "Anime Mig" by Jalda (Sweden) - Almost as fresh/fine as the Keisha track. Swedish musos, eh?

* "Ravage" by Novelists (France) - A concert in a song. Wide-ranging music and vocals get me.

* "Crazy, Baby" by Cara Delevingne (UK) - Like an old fave you forgot. Much credit to the producer.

* "Beautiful World" by World Order (Japan) - Glad to see Genki and the boyz still doing their thang.

RANDOM RPG REMINISCENCE OF THE WEEK

After I taught GH how to play "D&D" (in our early teens), he used index cards to create a host of ready-to-use monsters with their stat blocks reproduced, no. appearing and individual HP rolled, and treasures fully generated from the tables. I was so impressed.

Zipped through this GN (ta, PG)

Collects all 12 issues of the comic "Heathen", about an unfairly exiled Viking lass named Aydis attempting to overthrow the established order - taking on fellow humans, monsters like trolls and mermaids (nastier than you'd think), the mighty Valkyries and, ultimately, the boss God himself, Odin. Dug the sketchy-yet-expressive art, its cool palette a constant reminder you are travelling in frozen lands. Dug the writing; almost exclusively dialogue and no word wasted. Dug that the sexual situations and combat were never gratuitous. Dug the playfulness. Dug the seriousness. Thought the point about the madness of Christian converts turning on the witches who'd served their communities for centuries was particularly well made. "They accuse me of cursing things and conjuring demons, consorting with someone called Satan? I don't even know who that is. I mix potions, that's all." A feminist fable? Yeah, but one that charms, surprises, provokes in a good way and puts to shame probably 90% of mythology/fantasy stories on the market.

Ladies of letters

As a dude from the other side of the globe who wasn't even born when "Ms." launched, this nearly two-hour doco (released in 2025) was an education. Granted, I'm interested in anything to do with the history of magazine publishing, but I reckon most inquisitive folks would find it worthwhile. It's not just a praise-fest, either, as former staff admit important areas where they coulda done better and the film-makers note two famous writers who later cut ties with the publication. But let's not end on a downer. "Ms." mag, which still exists today albeit in a limited form, has clearly enriched the lives of millions of American women.

Current paper reading (ta, SC)

Publisher blurb:

"For 70 years, they guarded the British Empire. Oblivion and Fogg, inseparable friends, bound together by a shared fate. Until one night in Berlin, in the aftermath of the Second World War, and a secret that tore them apart.

"But there must always be an account...and the past has a habit of catching up to the present.

"Now, recalled to the Retirement Bureau from which no-one can retire, Fogg and Oblivion must face up to a past of terrible war and unacknowledged heroism - a life of dusty corridors and secret rooms, of furtive meetings and blood-stained fields - to answer one last, impossible question:

"What makes a hero?"

Doolally

Preposterous from beginning to end. Technically well constructed, though. And GG might not be discerning in her role choices but she's a solid actress - nailing every expression required. Which is fortunate, since for the majority of the movie we are either seeing her beautiful face react to the latest unexpected obstacle or watching her gallop around central London like a gazelle. Wait, whaddaya mean I was perving on a stuntwoman?

Dip yer lid

"Beyond Words" update: Got the gold trophy on all but two annoying levels. Unlocked most of the gear and achievements. Might be done with it.

In other news, lurve this bombshell...er, bombshell from the slick C64 demo "All Your Baddies Are Belong To Us" by the group AMID.

Distant days, other days

As I was coming out of the sushi bar, a family pulled up in their family sedan. The mother exited her driver's door normally. The three kids climbed out of the other three windows like gleeful monkeys. I was suddenly reminded of how much I used to enjoy doing that as a child. Partly because I wanted to imitate Bo and Luke Duke from "The Dukes Of Hazzard"*. Partly 'cos it was Something I Wasn't Supposed To Do. And partly, I guess, because back then your natural instinct was to turn every activity possible into a physical challenge. Continuing down the road, I found that the bridge spanning the local river had collapsed, so I was forced to jump across the 25-metre gap while clutching tight my bag of sushi rolls.

*Blissfully unaware of the future controversy surrounding their Dodge Charger's problematic livery.