The Greensboro, North Carolina News & Record has an excellent article about the growing issues libraries are facing when it comes to stocking graphic novels.  The increasing popularity of the medium is forcing libraries to stock them, and with that dealing with new headaches on who can read them.  The visual nature of graphic novels (long-form comic books) is part of why they’re growing in popularity, but also is the very thing that’s causing problems.

“It’s the same thing as when libraries started stocking videos. People seem to be more sensitive to a visual representation versus the written word,” said Sherrie Antonowicz , collection development manager for the Greensboro Public Library.

Earlier this year, the Jessamine County Public Library in Kentucky fired two library employees after they refused to check out a graphic novel to an 11-year-old, according to the Lexington Herald-Leader .  That incident sparked a debate of whether their actions was protection of children from harmful material, outright censorship, or shielding the library from possible litigation.

The graphic novel, The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: The Black Dossier, which contains sexually explicit images, is the center of that controversery. Sharon Cook, one of the fired employees, checked the book out herself to keep it out of circulation and has paid a fine of 10 cents a day for her stand.  Cook, challenged the inclusion of the graphic novel in the libraries collection and when that didn’t work she decided to check it out herself, in effect removing it from circulation.

Cook’s plan ended one day when another patron requested the book, and the computer system denied her the ability to re-check it out herself.  That patron turned out to be an 11 year old girl.  This caused Cook to take her extreme actions.

On Sept. 22, Cook told two of her colleagues at the library about her dilemma, and Beth Boisvert made a decision. She would take the book off hold, thus disallowing the child — or the child’s parents — ever to see the book.

On Sept. 23, both Cook and Boisvert were fired. They were told by library director Ron Critchfield the firings were a decision of the library board.

The Greensboro libraries according to the article are dealing with that particular issue.  Antonowicz said the library did not buy The Black Dossier because it was labeled adult fiction in the publishing review material used for selecting new books.  But, the Greensboro libraries do have other titles by Alan Moore, some of which contain sexual situations, and often fall in “adult” or mature categories when it comes to comic labelling.

Greensboro often selects their purchases based on demand of their patrons with nearly all graphic novels labeled YA or young adult; those that are not, are shelved in the general book stacks. The young adult books are shelved outside of the children’s section of the library and intended for 15- to 19-year-olds.

Parents can place restrictions on their child’s library card that would prevent them from checking out some material, but not young adult books like the graphic novels. Antonowicz said the library might need to review that policy in the near future.  Patrons 15 years old or older are given adult library cards and allowed to check out anything in the library.

“It’s still up to the parent to watch what the child is reading,” Antonowicz said.

Patrons can file a formal complaint about material they find objectionable. The library will review the material and decide if it should be reclassified — moved from young adult to adult, for example — or removed from the library.

In the past 10 years , there have been four formal complaints about books. None of the books were removed from the library.

The quandary for Greensboro libraries and the incident in Kentucky raise the question of the role of libraries to protect children, walking a fine line of censorship.  The Black Dossier does not fall into the category of obscenity by law.  While the graphic novel does contain many images of varied and explicit sexual behavior, it has been the subject of academic study. It was named by Time Magazine as one of its Top 10 Graphic Novels of 2007 and called “genius,” applauded for its ability to “pluck out the strange and angry and contradictory bits that underlie so much of the culture we live and think with today.”

Also keep in mind in 1973 the Supreme Court decided that obscenity could be determined by local community standards.  What may seem like censorship to me or you it’s perfectly within the right of Jessamine County or Greensboro, North Carolina citizens to determine what they want their children to have access to.

Editor’s Opinion: When it comes to any entertainment medium it is our opinion it’s the parents duty to know what their children are ingesting.  Libraries like video game consoles, or televisions have the ability for the parents to choose what their children can view.  Parental responsibility includes not just making sure your children are safe, or educated, but also what they do in their free time.  Mechanisms are in place, take the time to use them.

I first saw Watchmen in theaters the weekend it came out, and really enjoyed it.  I figured it would be an interesting re-watch in a group of people.  Not as impressed as I was the first time around, but still an interesting movie.

I still have not read any of the original comic (which I am planning on tackling one day), so my understanding and appreciation of the film stands alone.  The movie is sort of a big project, with a lot of different components that sometimes do and sometimes don’t work together.  Visually, it’s pretty stunning.  Second only to Sin City, this movie does a fantastic job of translating the “comic book” visuals to the screen.  Zach Snyder makes colors crisp and action fluid, and there is never a dearth of things to look at.  The music choices are bold, and mostly work.  They can occasionally be a bit goofy (and thus laughable), but I don’t fault the ambition there.

In terms of story, there is just so much going on.  I look forward to reading the comic, because I am confident things will be much clearer in there.  But it was slightly too jumbled to really translate well to the screen.  They made an admirable attempt, splitting the story up and following different characters when and how they did.  But the story still jumps a bit too much in time, place, and action to really be considered successful.

If you’re looking for an over the top, comic book style good time, I still say go to Sin City.  But if that’s not around, Watchmen is a notable follow up.  Also, it’s themes (when you can decipher them), are clearly more lofty and thought provoking then anything Sin City throws at you.  Also Malin Akerman is a real treat to look at.

In addition to my growing collection of Alan Moore books, I have recently purchased a complete hardback compilation of Lost Girls. I was initially put off by Melinda Gebbie’s illustrations. Whimsical and fairytale-like in style, they are not at all reminiscent of Moore’s previous works. Once I started reading, though, I honestly couldn’t put the book back down. This is not so much due to its frequent and explicit erotic content, but because it has such a powerful and magnetic narrative quality that is comparable to Moore’s other more well-known pieces. The plot – a perversion of a variety of universally known and familiar fairytales – guides us through a revelation of human desires in its many forms. Although Lost Girls is probably more specifically targeted towards females, I have no qualms that male Moore fans will enjoy this series nevertheless. Here are some of the less explicit pages from the book.

I am immersed in deep thought and deep meaning. I recently bought The Boondock Saints, and I just LOVE the family prayer.

And shepherds we shall be, for Thee, my Lord, for Thee. Power hath descended forth from Thy hand, that our feet may swiftly carry out Thy command. So we shall flow a river forth to Thee, and teeming with souls shall it ever be. In nomine Patri. Et Fili. Spiritus Sancti.

Also, I was just listening to Shai Hulud’s “Ending the Perpetual Tragedy.” And though I cannot find the quote to the monotone section of that anywhere online, it is still something you should hear. It’s quite chilling and uplifting. Shai Hulud is an American hardcore punk band from Pompano Beach, Florida, who got their name from the Great Maker worms of Frank Herbert’s Dune. I often get very filled with greater meaning, but VERY, VERY seldom is it anything to do with religion. I get this feeling from things that OTHERS create: Music, Artwork, Photography, Film, anything that overflows with extreme passion. And it is such a great feeling. I very much believe that the purpose for life is not just there, but instead, it is created. living creatures create their own reason and purpose, and that’s not hard to see.  The passions that one harvests, the GREAT amounts of love that one can hold for another, anything that a creature loves unconditionally, is the purpose of THAT individual life’s existence. Is that so hard to realize? For some it apparently is.

*Ahem*, MORE PHOTOS!

Don’t be misled, I do not play guitar. Of course, I WISH I could, but alas, I don’t. I was simply trying some camera angles. I took this strapped to the end of my Vendetta’s neck. God I wish I could play that thing.

Also, If you’re wondering why I’m wearing the same thing in all my photos on the blog, It’s because I pretty much took a WHOLE lot on the same day. Hahah.

Sabrina! It’s my cat again. I love that thing. I love cats.

Pretty self explanatory, except that I stuck my camera in the tree to take this one. I thought it was pretty cool.

On one last note, “I caught ‘em all” today! YES, I AM REFERRING TO THE ORIGINAL 151 POKEMON FROM 1998 POKEMON RED, BLUE, & YELLOW. I am definitely a Poke’nerd, but at least I own up to it! That was my generation, and I loved it. Every last bit. I’ve been working HOURS on those games to catch them all, and trust me, you have to have all three games to complete the collection. PHEW…That took so many hours of gameplay. Kingdom Hearts has got to be my favorite game of all time though. End of story.

____________________________________________________________

Now, for the new, weekly bits of media to check into:

Album of the Week: Thirteenth Step by A Perfect Circle

A Perfect Circle is one of my FAVORITE bands, and they’re sadly not together anymore, which emphasizes them THAT much more. Thirteenth Step is no doubt they’re best album, so check it out. There are only two songs on the whole album that are a little strange. The rest is gold.

Book of the Week: WATCHMEN – The Graphic Novel by Alan Moore & Dave Gibbons

God, I could do an entire SERIES of blogs on this. And I probably WILL do a post or two. Anyways, until then, You should read it. It’ll only take a week or so, but it is one of the deepest pieces of literature I have ever read. There are hidden messages all over the place, and you probably won’t understand some things the first go around, such as “The Black Freighter.” Regardless, you’ll definitely like it.

Annnnnd…..

Movie of the Week: Into the Wild

This is one of my favorite movies, and soon to be, books, of all times. Its a true story about a boy who, just after graduating from college, decides to burn all of his credentials, money, and everything that ties him to society, and tramps across the Americas for two years, before taking the ultimate end to his travels in Alaska. Checkitoutttt….

THANKS FOR CHECKIN’ IT. BYE!

To make good on my promise of daily updates, here is…an…update?  I’ve been reading the shit out of Alan Moore’s Swamp Thing lately.  It’s ridiculously awesome.  It’s about The Swamp Thing, a force of nature, and his exploits struggling to find his identity and purpose while squashing out evil.  If you like horror, this book is for you.  It’s chock full of vampires/the occult/zombies/monsters and is done in a total old horror comic style.  Add to that Alan Moore’s perfect grasp on the comic book media, and art from Stephen Bissette and John Totleben among a couple others and you’ve got yourself quite the substantial comic book.  Don’t sell it short by calling it a typical horror book however.  It’s also got sci fi and superhero elements as well as deep morals and philosophical questions.

Here are a couple of pages that stuck out for me from the 2nd and 3rd graphic novels.

The story follows Alec Holland, who became the Swamp Thing after a chemical explosion (standard super power getting fare).  Alan Moore changes things up here though and turns Swamp Thing into solely a monster/force of nature by killing off the Holland side completely.  This scene depicts Swamp Thing burying Holland’s actual bones, proving that the man no longer remains inside the creature.

One thing I really like about the book is that in the story Swamp Thing can deconstruct his body and re-grow it anywhere there is plant life.  This allows for some great character re-designs.  His body looks different depending of the vegetation indigenous to the certain area.

This particular story was about a city of underwater vampires who adapted to a flood by growing gills and survived because the sun didn’t reach them deep underwater.  They ended up breeding somehow and created this crazy fish-vampire monster hybrid.

And finally this other story involved an old Swamp Thing villain, Arcane, who was masquerading as Abby’s (Swamp Things “love” interest) husband.  He’s a demon so he can do that sort of shit.

I have yet to read Moore’s entire run yet, and I eagerly await the next 5 or so books I have left.  Swamp Thing is a unique, action packed, horrifying look at an old comic book character.  Moore has put so much life and substance into this once forgotten character that I can’t possibly represent with my stupid ramblings.  Moral of the story: check it out.

Comic book god Alan Moore has launched a spiffy new website called “Dodgem Logic”.  The whole thing looks just wonderful.   It’s a promotional site for his new magazine of the same name which is an attempt to recapture the spirit of underground magazines of the seventies.  The site attempts to do much the same thing.

Click here to give it a look-see and watch Alan Moore’s amusing introduction to magazine and site.

Also check out this page where you can download a bunch of obscure tracks from various Northhampton artists for free!

Mr. O'brien

I’m in the mood for ambitious fiction. Earlier this year I was blessed with a run of incredible reads,  topped off by Yvegeny Zamiatin’s masterpiece, We.

Mr. Zamiatin

Since then I’ve taken on more projects that inevitably have eaten into my reading time, and I am becoming more zealous in my quest for inspired reads. Ambition is the only flavor my literary palate wants to taste right now. I’m hungry for books that make me break out the booksdarts and re-read for pure pleasure. I want prose and plots that cause reactions, page turners that remind me how lucky I am to know how to read.

I’m compiling a list (in no particular order) of ambitiously written books and additions are requested in the comments section! I’d love suggestions for a 2010 reading list…

Mr. Baldwin

The Third Policeman by Flann O’Brien

Cat’s Cradle by Kurt Vonnegut

Trainspotting by Irvine Welsh

The Inferno by Dante

Morvagine by Blaise Cendrars

Tropic of Capricorn by Henry Miller

Candide by Voltaire

The Electric Koolaid Acid Test by Tom Wolfe

Black Boy by Richard Wright

The Master and Margarita by Mikhail Bulgakov

Who’s Afraid of Virgina Woolf? by Edward Albee

Bowl of Cherries by Milliard Kauffman

The Whapshot Chronicle by John Cheever (as well as many of his shorter works)

Catch-22 by Joseph Heller

One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey

Giovanni’s Room by James Baldwin

The Iliad by Homer

If On a Winter’s Night a Traveler by Italo Calvino

Her by Lawrence Ferlinghetti

Geek Love by Katherine Dunn

The Twits by Roald Dahl

Lolita by Vladamir Nabakov

Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas by Hunter S. Thompson

The Road by Cormac McCarthy

The Monkeywrench Gang by Edward Abbey

To Kill a Mockingbird by Harper Lee

The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald

The Stranger by Albert Camus

The Godfather by Mario Puzo

Peanuts by Charles Schultz

Mr. Abbey

more:

Bluebeard/Slaughterhouse 5 by Kurt Vonnegut

The Aeneid by Virgil

The Baron in the Trees by Italo Calvino

Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller

Matilda by Roald Dahl

Catcher in the Rye by J.D Salinger

His Dark Materials Series by Phillip Pullman

At Swim-Two-Birds by Flann O’brien

White Noise by Don Delillo

The Unbearable Lightness of Being by Milan Kundera

The Watchmen by Alan Moore

More..?

I know! i said i didn’t read comics or did i say manga? but either way when I was at HMV looking for some dvd’s i found a comic(oddly at an HMV) but out randomly looking for stuff(?) i seen the comic “Joker” from the i guess award winning author Brian Azzarello and art done by Lee bermejo. This comic is like the best thing my eyes have seen since, uh my first look at a pair of boobs ( ) lol? the illustrations are nothing short than (exaggerate much?) but fucken amazing. I don’t know what it is or what it reminds me of, but it looks really good. Candy for my eyes :3 yes, like a pair of boobies (lmao) and that’s just the right one, lol but i also got another comic, i seen it at HMV but at the time didn’t feel like picking it up, but later after i thought about it… I went to a indego(spelt right?) and picked up the other one i saw, and yes. Yes, it was another batman comic. this time it’s a re-release. enhanced or whatnot. From the artists and i guess writers Alan Moore and Brian Bolland. The comic “Batman: The Killing Joke” one of the first stories i guess or sum up of why and or who “Joker” really is. Why the Infamous, Criminally insane jokster is what he is. and why he’s the “way” he is. I haven’t finished reading it yet but so far, It’s pretty good.

Here’s some pics of the comics i am talking about.

^Cover

^^Opening, Joker. “I didn’t know the particulars as to why, but he was… Joker was, being released from arkham asylum…”

^^Harley Quin is in this one also.

^ ^they give her a very “sexy” look. not like the cartoon tv series.

^^2nd comic. Cover.

^^opening 2nd front opening.

^^3rd front opening.

^^Kinda looks as if this inspired the scene from the dark knight. this was drawn out 21 years before it. pretty bad ass.

Review time. “Joker” by the guys Brian and Lee. This book is like an orgasm to my eyes, it’s so beautifully done, and the story is pretty good also. Brings a tear to my eye :3 The art gives it a dark feel(so it should It’s “Joker”) and the artist put the “Dark Knight Joker” look to this comic. so he has the scars and painted eyes and white face paint. But somehow still keeps the original feel. The story itself is told from the view of one of “joker’s” henchmen “Frost”. And the ending pretty much sums it up, of why joker is still joker(?) won’t spoil it but a definite pick up. Now, Batman: the killing joke. This book brings you back to the feel of the original joker not from the “Dark Knight” & “Heath Ledger” feel of the joker. But nevertheless he’s still cool, no matter what or how other artists put him to be. The story(haven’t finished this book) but so far it’s good, this book is a re-release back 21 years ago(1988) so the art looks old school, but somehow it looks so good. They obviously did some enhanced work but it still looks amazing. I hear it’s about the joker, and his story of why he is who he “Is”. Definitely brings me back. and a definite pick up.

Me,myself was always a fan of the batman, and the joker was one of my favourite villains of all time. Ever since they brought back batman and gave him a modern day look and feel, also the fact that the technology seems and could possibly be believable. Not like the 80’s or 90’s batman movies. I absolutely fell back in love with my child hood hero. Also the joker.

Promethea by Alan Moore

Here’s what I’ve been reading in the last month or two. There is something to like in all of them.

Hungry As The Sea by Wilbur Smith

Wilbur Smith writes exhilarating sentences that pull you along through page after page of cliff-hanging action. When it comes to describing how to rescue a stricken cruise ship from the icy wastes of the Antarctic, he is awesome. But ask him to play with the relationship between a petite curvy blonde and a fearless rugged adventurer and he falls back on hollow clichés. He’s still far ahead of Colleen Collins but he’s a long way behind Maugham, while Flaubert is just a tiny speck on his horizon. His prose never falters but he has no vocabulary for the nuances of lived emotion.

A Spy By Nature by Charles Cumming

This introspective and accessible novel appears to be based on real experiences. It has the stamp of authenticity in part because the protagonist is gauche and immature, an intriguing blend of intelligence and stupidity that makes you fully believe he could be rejected by MI6 and used instead for a piece of trivial industrial espionage in which the the height of danger is the possibility of being caught at the photocopier. There is a touching scene in which he is almost seduced by a lovely American woman who turns out to be working for the CIA. Who would have guessed? There are some nicely observed descriptions of, for instance, a piece of bread dissolving in olive oil. The ending made me wince. What an oaf!

A Sentimental Education by Gustave Flaubert

Sublime and beautiful. Frédéric Moreau is another naive and gauche young man and at times I wanted to wring his neck. I could relate better to the cynical and louche Arnoux. But when you start to feel like this about the characters it’s because the details are so masterfully drawn. The story lacks the narrative verve of something by Wilbur Smith and I had to re-read many passages because my concentration wavered, but the personalities and the events linger on in the imagination long after the book is back on the shelf.

The Dark Forest by Hugh Walpole

I downloaded this from Project Gutenberg. Hugh Walpole was a bestselling novelist in the 1930s and I was curious about the quality of his work after reading that his success was largely due to his ability to make social connections and take his detractors out for a good dinner at an expensive restaurant. The Dark Forest is based on his experiences with the Red Cross on the Eastern Front in World War One. It’s sombre, earnest and very slow. The characterisation is painstaking but desperately dull. Wilbur Smith would have had a lot more fun with this material.

Promethea (Book 1) by Alan Moore

This is brimming with mischievous ideas, as you might expect from a work extolling the virtues of the creative imagination. Alan Moore lets his interest in magic and the occult have free rein in this comic series, which is about a young woman who becomes the mythical creature she is researching. This mystic mayhem and witty hocus pocus is definitely good for the soul. I love the way Alan Moore’s playful imagination makes use of everything it encounters. He’s one the boldest adventurers in the realm of the Immateria, which is the place where stories live.

The Brothers Karamazov by Fyodor Dostoyevsky

I love this novel. I enjoyed every moment. It has depth, insight, humour, pathos, subtlety and suspense. I find it hard to analyse because I just like the way Dostoyevsky thinks and the fun he has with his characters. He lets them talk and talk. Sometimes they seem to talk about whatever comes into their heads. I loved this about The Idiot too. It was reading The Idiot as a teenager that made me decide to spend three years studying comparative literature at university. I thought to myself, whatever else happens in my life, I will always make time for reading the novels of my friend Fyodor Mikhaylovich.

Shock Waves by Colleen Collins

The subtitle of this novel is Sex on the Beach, which kind of gives away the whole plot. I was hoping to identify with the heroine, Ellie Rockwell, who likes Lou Reed. (I like Lou Reed.) She also likes Marilyn Manson. (I don’t like Marilyn Manson.) Her dubious musical tastes and the fact that she is really a black-haired goth rather than the blonde beach babe she has turned herself into, are her guilty secrets as she tries to seduce and hang onto her childhood idol, Bill Romero. I didn’t like Bill Romero. Unfortunately, I didn’t like Ellie Rockwell either. I think she likes Lou Reed for the wrong reasons. Still, it was a very easy book to read with simple but effective vocabulary.

Medea by Euripides

What a shocker! After bringing his exotic barbarian wife home to civilised Corinth, Jason deserts her in order to marry a local princess. Who is the barbarian here? Understandably, Medea is plunged into despair. But she puts on a false face, poisons the rival princess and stabs her own children to death in order to deprive Jason of the joy of holding them in his arms. She gets away with it, too, fleeing the scene in a chariot whisked through the heavens. The scene with the chariot is pretty impressive but, disappointingly, the horrible deaths happen off-stage. This is a failing in French classical tragedians too. Didn’t anyone explain to them the show-don’t-tell rule? Thank goodness modern film makers have read all those books on how to write screenplays.

Les Femmes Savantes by Molière

This is what happens when you bring together the disciplined focus of classical French theatre and the exuberant buffoonery of improvised Italian farce. Sheer comic genius. Molière is a model for writers everywhere. There are some lessons for grammarians here too.

The Hairless Mexican by W. Somerset Maugham

This is a spy story based on Maugham’s experiences in World War One. It’s more exciting than A Spy By Nature, funnier than The Dark Forest, sexier than Shock Waves, more ironic than Hungry as the Sea and shorter than The Brothers Karamazov.

This post is the first in a series to be posted on this blog that will explore the occult symbolism found in the graphic novel Watchmen, by Alan Moore and David Gibson. This celebrated book, which was recently made into a film, was published before Alan Moore’s occultic ‘conversion’ (SOURCE). Despite this, the book is filled with magical references, many of which act as another layer of synchronicity to the storyline and offer esoteric interpretations regarding events in the book and the motivations of various characters. Moore admits to having knowledge of the occult, before becoming a magician himself (SOURCE), but it is unclear whether these references were purposely written into Watchmen, or if they are simply coincidental. Either way, Watchmen is truly a multifaceted book that operates on many levels and has, in Alan Moore’s words, “loads of these little bits of synchronicity popping up all over the place” (SOURCE).

This first post discusses some of the Kabbalistic themes related to the character Rorschach found in Chapter 1 of the book. These references seem to be synchronous with Rorschach’s psychology and describe his motivations in uncovering the conspiracy behind the main events of the book. Please note that this post contains spoilers, so if for some reason you haven’t read the book or seen the film, you may wish to stop reading now. Also note that I am not an expert in esoteric matters – I have tried to do my best in interpreting the meanings of the various bits of symbolism, but not being personally involved in this sort of thing, I may not always get things right. Also I am sure that deeper levels of interpretation, going beyond my current level of understanding do exist. I do not support the occult or agree with the practice of magic. I did, however, think it was important to write in this area, firstly to point out another example of a work of pop culture that is infused with occult themes and symbolism. This is particularly interesting in the case of Watchmen, which is literally about the formation of a New World Order by a follower of the Mysteries. Secondly, I feel that discussion of these themes adds a new dimension to enjoying and understanding the book. My aim with these posts is to broadly cover this topic area. To that end, please feel free to email me with suggestions and tips regarding additional occult references in the book. I am sure there are many that I am unaware of.

At midnight, all the agents…

“Now at midnight all the agents And the superhuman crew, Come out and round up everyone That knows more than they do. Then they bring them to the factory, Where the heart-attack machine Is strapped across their shoulders, And then the kerosene Is brought down from the castles, By insurance men who go Check to see that nobody is escaping, To Desolation Row” – Bob Dylan, Desolation Row

The frame pictured above (Chapter 1, p.6) depicts Rorschach beginning his investigation of the Comedian’s murder. The frame depicts Rorschach climbing into Eddie Blake’s apartment, via the use of his grappling hook gun. Interestingly, there are numerous similarities between the depiction of Rorschach in this frame and the infamous ‘Baphomet’ image created by arch-occultist, Eliphas Lévi. This image is pictured below.

Eliphas Lévi’s image of Baphomet

Interpretation of some of the symbolism encoded in the image of Baphomet reveals insights into Rorschach and the storyline of Watchmen. As with the image of Baphomet, Rorschach is forming the sign of hermetism with one arm pointing up and the other arm pointing down. This is representative of the hermetic imagery of “as above so below,” which signifies the unity of microcosm and macrocosm. Applied to an individual, this can mean that effects on one level of reality appear on another.  For example, an event occurring in the spiritual or psychological level can affect the physical level and vice-versa. This applies to Rorschach and his understanding of the world, which we see in the opening pages of the book. The outside world, which is seen by Rorschach as on the brink of destruction, filled with vermin, filth, sex and murder matches the darkness and violence of Rorschach’s own mind. The hermetic imagery asks the reader if Rorschach is a projection of the world or is the world a projection of Rorschach. This same theme is explored in Chapter 6 of the book, where Rorschach is identified as a ‘monster’ who is ‘fighting monsters’.

Eliphas Lévi’s image has Kabbalistic connotations. According to Wikipedia, one of Baphomet’s arms is pointing up to the white moon of ‘Chesed’, while the other is pointing down to the black moon of ‘Geburah’.  Another article I found about Baphomet indicates that Chesed and Geburah are two Sephirot on the opposite sides of the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. These particular Sephirot “are commonly understood to be male and female, severity and mercy. Chesed represents kindness and love, while Geburah presents power, strength and judgment.” Thus, hermetically pointing at both Sephirot is a sign that is meant to “expresses the perfect harmony of mercy with justice.”  - a caricature of the Kabbalistic conception of God.

Mercy and justice are certainly not harmonized in Rorschach’s character. Rather in the constant strive for justice, he is merciless. This is reflected esoterically in Dave Gibbons’ depiction of Rorschach in the frame above. Please note that Rorschach is pointing to a painting of a topless female on the bottom-right corner of the frame.  If Rorschach can be imagined to be pointing at Sephirot like Baphomet, then we can see that the position of the lower right Sephirot have swapped – Baphomet was pointing down towards the ‘male moon’, Geburah, Rorschach is pointing down to a portrait of a nude female, the ‘female moon’, Chesed. There is definite lunar symbolism in this image. Notice that the portrait of the female has a blood splatter on her body, perhaps representative of menstruation. This justifies the interpretation of the portrait as the ‘female moon’. Since the lower right Sephirot is reversed from Levi’s image, this may imply that the harmony between Geburah and Cheses, between mercy and justice is out of balance in Rorschach.

Baphomet has two horns representing duality. The hermaphroditic imagery of Lévi’s image (notice the female breasts on a male body), implies a synthesis or union. This signifies that duality is synthesized in the godhead and becomes a union. Likewise, Rorschach, as in the above image, is constantly pictured with two dark spots on his hat, interestingly, in place of horns. This may represent Rorschach’s dual nature – his split personality. Interpreting this in the context of the hermaphroditic symbolism inherent in the Baphomet image implies the synthesis of good and evil in Rorschach’s personality. While Rorschach fights evil, he is not the antithesis of evil, rather he is a synthesis of good and evil, fighting evil with evil methods himself (e.g. threats, torture). This synthesis is explored in depth in Rorschach’s interviews with the psychiatrist in Chapter 6. – remember the quote by Friedrich Nietzsche presented at the end of the chapter – “Battle not with monsters lest ye become a monster. And if you gaze into the abyss the abyss also gazes into you.”

Eliphas Lévi’s image of Baphomet also informed the symbological development of the Devil Card in the Rider-Waite tarot deck. While there is no need to additionally discuss similarities between the card and the image of Rorschach above, there is, however, one extremely interesting relationship worthy of note. According to Wikipedia, one interpretation of this card is “self-bondage to an idea or belief which is preventing a person from growing or being healthy.” This is an incredibly accurate interpretation of Rorschach’s personality and describes his complete fixation on tracking down the ‘Mask Killer’, a figment of his imagination that is disconnected from the events in the book that are really going on.

To summarize, the hermetic and hermaphroditic imagery present in Eliphas Lévi’s image of Baphomet can be interpreted in such as way as to provide insight into Rorschach’s character, the nature of the world the book is set in, and later elements of the storyline. The next post in this series will explore some of the freemasonic imagery found in chapter 1 of the book, as Rorschach begins his journey towards knowledge, from ignorance to uncovering the conspiracy behind the events of the book.

: : : : : : : : : : :

WATCHMEN

Jeffrey Dean Morgan / Jackie Earle Haley / Carla Gugino / Stephen McHattie / Malin Akerman / Billie Crudup / Mathew Goode / Patrick Wilson / Matt Frewer / Apollonia Vernova /  Leah Gibson / Niall Matter / Darryl Sheelar / Laura Mennell / Robert Wisden / Based upon ‘Watchmen’ by Alan Moore & Dave Gibons / Art Direction Francois Audouy, Helen Javis & James Steuart / Costume Design Michael Wilkinson / Set Design Michael Erickson / Original Music Tyler Bates / Editor William Hoy / Cinematography Larry Fong / Production Wesley Coller & Herb Gains / Adapted Screenplay David Hayter & Alex Tse / Director Zack Snyder

..OPENING TITLE SEQUENCE..

PROMOTIONAL MATERIAL

I wonder how many excited travellers to Norway will come across this page just because of the title. And quite truthfully there is nothing in this post about Trondheim. I guess there is as I’ve just mentioned it, but that’s it! Might as well stop now, you Norsk fjord-lovers. No more Viking references here, Bjorn…

So… ducks. A comment by WittyKitty on one of my posts led me to thinking about rabbits. Which in turn led me to thinking about animals in general. So, Trondheim notwithstanding, this entry is on the subject of all creatures, great and small, starting with ducks. Have a listen to this:

Sinister Ducks

Alan Moore, writer of such influential graphic novels as Watchmen, V for Vendetta and From Hell, under the nom de plume Translucia Baboon, formed the Sinister Ducks “to warn people”. This is among my all time favourite humourous songs. And now you know. You have learned about their evil ways.

Moving on, let’s talk sheep. Anyone over there in the USA heard of the Streets? They’re a tremendously popular band in England. Never been able to figure out why, myself, since I’d rather listen to my own digestive system playing up, but each to their own.

They’re classed (according to Wikipedia – how can anything contributed to by people called things like Turnip, Penisulagal and Wiggly! be wrong?) as “UK Garage” or “British Hip Hop”. Just so you know what we’re talking about here, this is the streets:

Familiarise yourself with the ’style’ and the beat and so on. Then listen to this:

Yes, Chris Moyles on the radio as one of his many song parodies created the Bleats. Just too good, really. So… sheep bleat. And on we go to Rabbits.

Or more specifically, wabbits. I heard this track years ago and was led to believe that it was Metallica. It’s actually not, but it does sound like them, and to continue our animal music theme, it seems appropriate. Laugh your socks, pants, and retainers off to this:

Have you had enough yet? Really? Not yet? Then let’s move on…

Here’s a simple one for you. I can’t believe anyone out there has not seen badgers? But if not, this flash movie ate about three weeks of my life back when I worked with the shiny one at Soulless Corporation (TM)

There were many follow ups, but none had the sheer style of the original. I will now spend the rest of the day occasionally shouting “mushroom, mushroom.”

Well that’s me set for the rest of the day. How’s y’all?

Badger, badger, badger…

Afternoon update: As an extension of my regular use of the word “Smoo”, I have occasionally expanded to saying “Smoot”. And just now I finally looked up Smoot to see if it exists. And I am so blown away with the result, I had to pass on the word. Smoot lives and I shall be using it all the more.

Check out Smoot here.

If y’allz don’t check out SHOOK magazine then… well you probably should. It rose out of the ashes of Straight No Chaser, made by a bunch of the same people and still with a lot of the artwork done by the legendary Swifty. The main difference from Chaser is that there’s a bit less jazz and a bit more hip-hop. Also comics.

Anways they’ve got a cool little interview with beatmaker and hallucinogen-enthusiast Flying Lotus up at the minute, where he runs down his top five tunes like EVER.

“I think that beat is a perfect beat. The mix is just so perfect, it’s a great reference point for any EQ-ing. A lot of people use Dr. Dre as a reference when they’re mastering but I think that’s as close as it gets to classic Dre mixing. It’s just a dope song. The snare drum on that is from this disco tune. It’s just incredible. Dilla at his finest I’d say. The EQ-ing, the samples, all the melodic stuff that’s happening, it’s so musical. And it’s so pretty. That’s the beat that’s hard to deny. It’s also one of those beats that can blend well with anything, so I play that song in almost all my DJ sets. I think it’s perfect.”

So I dug out Fantastic Volume II and it turns out he’s not wrong: Players is awesome. If you don’t know, get to know.

Slum Village – Players

Do yourself a favour and don’t put it on the laptop speakers.

TURN IT UP.

• 

  V For Vendetta

  Karşınızda basit bir vodvil gönüllüsü var.Vicdanının hem kurbanı hemde katili olarak savaşan bir gönüllü.Yüzümdeki bu maske vasat bir görüntü yaratmak için varolan kostüm parçası değildir.Herneyse.Bu görüntü geçmişin vahim vesaitlerinden çıkmış,vahşete karşı koyan birinin görüntüsüdür.Bu,kokuşmuş bir trenin aşağılık veba saçan uşaklarına karşı vakurla karşı koyan biridir.Verilecek tek karar intikamdır.Bir kan davası ve bir amacı var,boşuna değil.Değerler ve dürüsütlük vakti geldiğinde kazanacak ve zulüm son bulacak biliyorum.

• Sapkın, eski niyetler bile kutsal kitaptan çalınırken, ben en çok şeytanı oynarken aziz gibi görünürüm.
• Korku, bu hükümetin esas aracı haline geldi.
• Kurşunlarınız var, ancak silahlarınız boşaldığında ölmüş olmamı ümit edin. Şayet ayakta kalırsam silahlarınızı dolduramadan ölmüş olursunuz.
• (Defalarca kurşunlandıktan sonra) Sıra Bende.
• Bu maskenin altında etten daha fazlası var. Bu maskenin altında bir fikir var, Bay Creedy. Ve fikirlere kurşun işlemez.
• hayır,lütfen… Bu maskenin altında bir yüz var, ancak o ben değilim…bu maskenin altında kaslar var ve ardında kemikler…
• İşte! İlk kez ben de nefret olduğunu sanmıştım. Tek bildiğim nefretti, nefret dünyamı sarmıştı,nefes almam bile nefret doluydu.. Vesonra bir şey oldu,sana olduğu gibi…
• Burada 872 tane şarkı var… Hepsini dinledim, ama hiç biriyle dans etmedim. Dans edilemeden yapılan devrim yapılmaya değer değildir.
• Tanrı gibi ben de işimi şansa bırakmam ve rastlantıya inanmam.
• Bu yüzden kötülüğün üstüne şeker serpeceğiz.
• Ama böyle vukuatlı gecelerde doğru yerlere vasıl olduğum için kendimi size tiyatral bir varlık olarak sunma gereğini duyuyorum. Voila! Karşınızda basit bir vodvil gönüllüsü var, vicdanın hem kurbanı, hem de katili olarak savaşan bir gönüllü. Yüzümdeki bu maske vasat bir görüntü yaratmak için varolan bir kostüm parçası değildir.
• Verilecek tek karar intikamdır. Bir kan davası, ve bir amacı var boşuna değil. Değerler ve dürüstlük vakti geldiğinde kazanacak, ve zulüm son bulacak biliyorum.
• Uzmanlık alanım ritm sazlardır ama bu gece bütün bir orkestrayı kullanmak niyetindeyim. Bana katılırsan büyük onur duyarım.
• Ama Sabret Bu müzik adalet için çalacak ve ben bu konçertoyu bizden alındığı günlere ithaf ediyorum ve adalet gözettiğini sanan sahtekarlara tabiki.
• Hatırla, hatırla, 5 Kasım gününü hatırla, patlamayı, ihaneti ve komployu, bu ihaneti unutmak için hiçbir neden bulamıyorum.
• Bende her insan gibi severim, ama onun anısına hürmeten şimdi buradayım. Geçmişte yaşanan o çok önemli olayda mücadele ederken hayatını kaybeden insanların anısına böyle bir kutlama yapmak istedim, ve böylece 5 Kasım gününün artık hiç hatırlanmadığını anladım. Bu yüzden oturup biraz sohbet etmemiz iyi olacak diye düşündüm. Elbette konuşmamı istemeyen kişilerde vardır, eminim şu anda telefonlarda emirler yağdırılıyor ve silahlı adamlar yola çıkmaya hazırlanıyordur. Neden? Çünkü konuşulmaya çalışılan yerde coklar söz alıncaya kadar sözler her zaman gücünü korumaya devam eder. Gerçeklerin ortaya konulduğu sözleri dinleyen herkes için büyük anlam taşıyan sözler ve gerçek şu ki bu ülkede yolunda gitmeyen bir şeyler var: Zulüm ve adaletsizlik, hoşgörüsüzlük ve baskılar… Özgürlüğünüz kısıtlanıyorsa, düşünme ve konuşma hakkınız yoksa, sensörler ve çipler her hareketinizi, her konuşmanızı izliyorsa, bazı işlerin yolunda gitmediğini söyleyebiliriz. Peki bu nasıl oldu, kimi suçlayalım, evet, elbette diğerlerinden daha fazla sorumlu olan birileri mutlaka var. Ama yinede aynaya baktığınızda suçluluk duyuyorsanız gerçeği öğrenmiş olursunuz. Neden yaptığınızı biliyorum, neden korktuğunuzu da… Kim korkmaz ki? Savaş, terör, hastalıklar, sağduyunuzu ve cesaretinizi kaybetmenize neden olacak çok değişik nedenler ortaya çıkmıştı. Korku içinizi sardı ve o panik haline Adam Sutler adındaki başkana sarıldınız. Size düzen ve barış vaadetti, karşılığında sessizlik ve emirlere itaat etmenizi istedi. Dün gece o sessizliğe bi son verdim, dün gece bu ülkeye unuttuğu bir şeyi hatırlatmak için adliye sarayını uçurdum. 400 yıl önce bu millet 5 Kasımı sonsuza dek unutmamak üzere hafızalarına kazımıştı. Dünyaya adaletin, korkusuzluğun ve özgürlüğün sadece söz olmadığını anlatacaktı, bakış açısı buydu. Eğer bir şey görmüyorsanız, bu devletin suçları sizin için bir bilinmezse ve karşı çıkmıyorsanız demek ki 5 Kasımın unutulmasına siz izin verdiniz. Ama sizde benim gördüğümü görüyorsanız, benim gibi hissediyorsanız, sizde benim gibi arıyorsanız, o zaman yanımda olmanızı istiyorum. Bir yıl sonra bu gece parlamentonun girişinde bulunun. birlikte olup onlara 5 Kasımın asla unutulmadığını, unutulmayacağını gösterelim…
• Burası evim, ben gölge galerisi diyorum.
• Çalmak malın sahibinden olur. Sansürden çalamazsın, benim yaptığım yalnızca geri almaktı.
• Seni orda bıraksaydım şu anda Creedy nin sorgu hücresinde olurdun, tutuklarlar, işkence ederler ve beni bulmak uğruna belki de öldürürlerdi. Yardımından sonra seni bırakamazdım, bende seni güvenli olabileceğini düşündüğüm tek yere getirdim, evet, evime.
• İnsanlar hükümetlerinden korkmamalı, hükümetler insanlarından korkmalı.^{13 Nisan 2007}
• Binalar semboldür, yok etmenin bir sembolü. Sembollere insanlar güç verir, tek başına semboller anlamsızdır, ama yeterli sayıda insanla, binaları(sembolleri) havaya uçurmak dünyayı değiştirir.
• Şiddet iyi yönde kullanılabilir.
• seni on dakika önce öldürdüm.
• Ve sen bütün alçaklığımı ortaya çıkardın ve yine sen kutsallığı kullanarak eziyet ettin. Aziz kılığına girerek şeytanın rolünü üstlendin.( Piskopos: Lütfen merhamet et!)Bu gece olmaz, piskopos bu gece olmaz.
• voila
• Gerçeklerin gücünü bildiğim sürece kainatı bile fethedebilirim…
• İnsanlar hükümetlerinden değil, hükümetler insanlardan korkmalıdır…
• Evey, bir şey isteyebilir miyim? Bir tek dilek hakkın olsa seni tekrar göremeyi dilerdim…

Interesting story over at Boing Boing about library workers in Kentucky getting the pink slip because they conspired to keep Alan Moore and Kevin O’Neil’s graphic novel ‘The League of Extrardinary Gentlemen: the Black Dossier‘ out of the hands of an eleven year old girl. Check it:

According to the story, Sharon Cook, 57 and Barbara Boisvert, 62, basically colluded to keep the book out of circulation — Cook, who had become disturbed by the book’s imagery, checked it out for a year, meaning no one else could check it out. However, when an 11-year-old girl put it on hold, Cook was unable to continue her delaying tactic — and Boisvert stepped in, removing the hold, and keeping the book out of circulation.

Someone took her visual message a little too much to heart.

Both were fired for their actions. The Jessamine County Public Library has not commented on what they call a personnel matter.

Cook seems to have some kind of obsession with the book — she’s still carrying it around in her knapsack, the dirty parts marked with Post-Its. This, despite what she describes as her mortal danger when reading the book:

“People prayed over me while I was reading it because I did not want those images in my head,” she says.

Wow.  I don’t normally get happy when I hear about anyone losing their job, but this kind of close-minded, self-important censorship of others reading choices is way off-sides.   Especially for library workers whose sole job it is, in my mind, to simply facilitate the spread of information and (occasionally, heh) entertainment.  In my country we shoot people for much less than that.

Oh wait.

(Story originated from here)

Here’s an interesting and well spoken description of anarchism from our favorite writer/comic book god Alan Moore. The revolution solution! Here’s a little music for all the Obama disappointees.

politik need Martin V.

Yep. I watched it. All three hours and thirty-five minutes of it. And despite adding nearly an hour of extra footage, including the ‘comic within the comic’ “The Black Freighter”, the problems with Watchmen remain.

Based on the overrated fanboy funnybook by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, Watchmen is based in an alternate America, between the 1930’s and early 1980’s, where ordinary (and not so ordinary) people dress up as hood ornaments to fight crime. Years after being outlawed, these crime fighters come together again to unravel a mystery surrounding the murder of one of their own.

Known as Minutemen, there’s Night Owl (Patrick Wilson), a pudgy technogeek with a serious case of erectile dysfunction;  Silk Spectre (Malin Åkerman) who has daddy issues and seems to find sucking on a battery arousing;  Rorschach (Jackie Earl Haley), a deeply disturbed bloodnut and quite literally a dirty son of a whore;  Ozymandias (Matthew Goode), an effeminate billionaire and ‘the smartest man in the world’;  The Comedian (Jeffrey Dean Morgan), who generally speaking, just isn’t a very nice guy;  and Doctor Manhattan (Billy Crudup), a blue skinned nudist with a penchant for hiding his dong just out of frame (or behind a budgie smuggler). These characters come together to crap on about quasi-philosophical garbage and to slow-mo fight their way through a poorly constructed conspiracy mystery.

There is such a thing as ‘too faithful’, and after “300” and “Watchmen”, director Zack Snyder has proven that he is about as imaginative as Rain Man counting cards. By spewing each frame onto the screen, he has essentially made a moving version of the funnybook. Snyder has revered the source material so much that he has lost sight of the fact that what works on the page, doesn’t always work on screen.

Snyder has made a number of severe miscalculations; the music in particular is annoying and obvious. “Ride of the Valkyries” for a Vietnam scene? “Hallelujah” for a love scene?  That’s just lazy.  And a truly bizarre and baffling use of “99 Luftballoons” which comes completely out of nowhere and lasts about 19 seconds before fading out. It’s like Snyder had it written into his contract that he must include the song in the movie.

Also annoying is the aforementioned over-use of slow-mo, and the constant movement of the camera. It seems as if Snyder was conscious of the restrictions he placed on himself by being so faithful to recreating every frame as it was in the comic that he attempted to breath life into the film by moving the camera in every single shot. In a static scene of dialogue or exposition he is constantly doing a slow push in. It’s annoying.

The performances as a whole are fine. Jackie Earl Haley is particularly good as Rorschach, but he benefits from having the most interesting character and the best lines.  Ozymandias looks less like ‘the smartest man in the world’ and more like he should be dancing on the Kylie float in the Gay Mardi Gras Parade.  He also has a staggering amount of superhuman ability for an ordinary human being.  The bullet thing is particularly ridiculous.

Snyder hasn’t interpreted the funnybooks for the movies. Sure, he’s made a substantial change to the end, which was the correct decision. The squid in the comic is stupid, but it kind of works. At the very least, it’s easier to accept. If Snyder were to have featured a giant squid attacking New York in the movie it would’ve been laughed off the screen. So he had the foresight to change that, but has mistakenly kept infantile joke shots like the flame spurt.

Jarv's favourite moment in film history.

The best part of the film is the Doctor Manhattan origin.  It’s the one section that successfully translated from funnybook to screen.  And it’s good to see Crudup without the CG dong and the weird lightbulb eyes.

The most enjoyable part of Watchmen, as in the comic, is “The Black Freighter”. A brutal tale of one mans descent into madness, the animated sequences in this Ultimate Cut are very effective and make for a welcome respite from the film itself.

The biggest problem with Watchmen, is that I just don’t think that the story’s relates to 2009.  The original comic is a somewhat effective commentary of a particular time and state of the world.  Now that the Cold War’s over, Nixons a distant memory, Vietnam’s old news and Viagra’s been invented, it feels irrelevant.

Watchmen did have potential, but it’s been kicking around for so many years that it’s time has passed and the list of those who DIDN’T direct or star in it, what could’ve been, is more interesting than that finished product.

Well, I’m just about well enough to type one of these, after a few days of essentially staring blankly into space (went back to work today, though I probably should have had another day or so off). Proper post tomorrow, I hope:

(BTW for anyone going to the Thought Bubble comic convention in Leeds on Saturday, I’ll be the one with the biggest beard in the place. Feel free to say hello).

Bob Temuka talks about This Is Information, the Moore/Gebbie response to Sept 11, 2001, and compares it with The Invisibles.

Pillock thinks Blackest Night Sucks.

Alix has a modest proposal in regards to road privatisation.

A wonderful post about chavs from The Noughties Were Shit. Read past the first couple of paragraphs…

And Millennium reviews the latest episode of the Welsh Series.

Trato de decir que si en el mundo hubiera dos o tres más, el desbalance llegaría a tirar algunos gobiernos.

Suertudos gobernantes e idiotas al frente de casi todas las cosas de que sólo exista un Alan Moore.

Hoy es su  cumpleaños 56.

Que su nacimiento nos recuerde lo peligroso y lo necesario que puede ser un escritor.

Que su cumpleaños nos obligue hoy por la noche a dedicar hasta la última gota de lo que somos a esa paginita chafa y blanca que nos elude.

(Feliz cumple también a mi gran amigo Paulo).

Alan Moore, as far as I know, has withdrawn from comics and is now a zine producing magic lurker in the dark. Good for him. His historical novel, Voice of the Fire, is about the place where he does most of his lurking, Northampton, England. It spans about 6000 years and many linguistic quirks.

The first chapter is told with great difficulty. You can feel that language is a new thing as you read sentences about “I’s gleaning heat water foot mother.” The entire first chapter is a test. There is a story there. It is the basis for everything that comes after. It is very difficult.

As history proceeds the stories are told by witchy women and murderers and templars, judges and a head on a spike. All different but unified by fire and shagfoals and unattached legs.

This book was finished in 1995 or so and was really difficult to find for years. Now though Top Shelf has done a paperback version that you can get anywhere. If you like Alan Moore’s work, it definitely works even without the pictures.