To tegneserier fra Vertigo forsøker på hver sin måte å si noe om krig. Den ene lykkes bedre enn den andre.

Unknown Soldier av Joshua Dysart og Alberto Ponticelli, utgitt på Vertigo, handler om konflikten i Nord-Uganda, der den notorisk hensynsløse opprørsbevegelsen Lord’s Resistance Army gjennom en årrekke har kjempet mot regjeringen.  LRA er blant annet kjent for sin kristenfundamentalisme og for å kidnappe barn og bruke dem som soldater eller sexslaver. Konflikten har spilt over grensene til Sudan og Kongo og har ført til at anslagsvis halvannen million mennesker har blitt drevet på flukt, mens resten av verden stort sett har vært opptatt med andre ting. Serien blitt godt mottatt, ikke minst blant ugandiske bloggere, som berømmer serien for å gi en god fremstilling av det ugandiske samfunnet, og gi en ny generasjon kunnskap om konflikten nord i landet.

Samtidig knytter serien an til DC Comcis-karakteren Unknown Soldier, en figur som dukket opp i DCs krigstegneserier på seksti- og syttitallet. Den ukjente soldaten var en hemmelig agent under annen verdenskrig, hvis ansikt var så vansiret at det var fullstendig dekket i bandasjer.

I Dysarts versjon heter den ukjente soldaten Moses Lwanga og er en ugandisk-amerikansk lege, bosatt i New York, som reiser til Uganda for å hjelpe landet han kommer fra. Lwanga er i utgangspunktet pasifist, men blir snart innhentet av brutaliteten som omgir ham i de krigsherjede områdene i nord. I møtet med barnesoldatene utvikler han en psykose, der han hører en stemme som guider ham gjennom livsfarlige situasjoner og lærer ham å bli en effektiv drapsmann. Forferdet forsøker han å bli kvitt stemmen ved å ødelegge sitt eget ansikt. Han drives imidlertid bare lenger inn i psykosen, og innleder snart en enmannskrig mot LRA.

Lwanga er en uhyggelig effektiv kriger. Ikke bare er den tidligere pasifisten ekspert på å drepe, han evner også å legge til side alle menneskelige hensyn som kunne gjøre arbeidet vanskelig. Når han løser en gisselsituasjon ved å ta livet av gisseltakerne, og senere får høre at kunne ha blitt løst ved forhandlinger, tar han det med et skuldertrekk. Likeledes når han konfronteres med at fienden også er ofre, at hans enmannskrig innebærer å kjempe mot – og drepe – kidnappede barn: “Someone has to sacrifice. Do horrible things. Commit to ending this once and for all by any means necessary.”

DMZ av Brian Wood og Riccardo Burchielli, også Vertigo, utspiller seg i en nær framtid, der USA har kollapset i borgerkrig. Manhattan er nå kjent som DMZ, demilitarized zone, et krigsherjet ingenmannsland midt i frontlinjene mellom USA og opprørsrepublikken “The Free States”. Her havner Matty Roth, som i løpet av serien utvikler seg fra en uerfaren journalistpraktikant til en hardbarka reporter og maktfaktor i DMZ.

I War Powers, den syvende boken i serien, er Matty gått lei av journalistrollens begrensninger. Han ønsker å stå for noe positivt, og har sluttet seg til den populistiske politikeren Parco Delgado i hans forsøk på å etablere en selvstendig styresmakt i DMZ, uavhengig av den amerikanske regjeringen. Men om Matty er hardbarka, er han også naiv. Snart erfarer han at politikk er et like skittent spill som journalistikk, der man enten manipulerer eller blir manipulert. Det finnes frustrerende få klare moralske skillelinjer i den demilitariserte sonen. Her er ingen enkelt fiende man kan drepe for å få en slutt på krigen, bare en mengde kyniske, krigstrøtte og skadde mennesker som forsøker å overleve også denne dagen, og i varierende grad ønsker å bevare en viss menneskelig verdighet gjennom det hele. “A fucking news crew? Well, we didn’t ask for a news crew. We don’t want to get caught up on your shit. Like I said, we just live here.” Matty Roth forsøker å gjøre en forskjell. Noen ganger lykkes han. Mesteparten av tiden bare driter han seg ut, blir brukt, manipulert, eller lurer seg selv når ikke andre gjør det for ham.

DMZ forsøker ikke å gjenskape virkelige hendelser, men inspirasjonen fra virkeligheten kjennes i hver rute. Forfatteren har, synes jeg, lykkes i å balansere mellom kontinuitet, fornyelse og utvikling av sine karakterer, slik at serien etter syv bind fremdeles ikke føles som den går på tomgang. I likhet med all god science fiction bruker DMZ en fiktiv virkelighet som devise for å si noe om sin samtid. Fengselstortur og oransje fangedrakter. Soldater som åpner ild mot fredelige demonstranter. Trustwell inc, et selskap med egne militære styrker som har sikret seg lukrative kontrakter med myndighetene for “gjenoppbygging” av DMZ. Patriotisme på boks fra mediene, the price of freedom is high, but never in the history of this proud country has the price been so important, or held such honor to pay. Wood griper fatt i disse ingrediensene, velkjente fra tusen TV-bider og nyhetsinnslag, og setter dem inn i en tenk om-setting som flytter dem nærmere oss. Hva om det skjedde her. Skjer det her? I bakgrunnen lyder kraftige ekko fra Bagdad.

Unknown Solder er, sier Dysart sier til New York Times, et resultat av en fascinasjon for religiøs fanatisisme som meldte seg etter 11. september 2001. Framstillingen av konflikten og av det ugandiske samfunnet i serien, og bloggpostene Dysart skriver om situasjonen i Uganda, viser at han har satt seg grundig inn i stoffet han bruker.  Tross det pertentlig korrekte bakgrunnsmaterialet sklir Dysart ut likevel i en voldsfantasi hinsides virkelighetens verden, der én mann med Kalasjnikov og machete er det som skal til for å løse en umulig situasjon.

Voldsfantasier er ikke noe nytt for tegneseriemediet. Fiktiv vold kan være morsomt, og trenger nødvendigvis ikke forholde seg til virkeligheten. Like lite som vi forventer at en actiontegneserie satt til USA er realistisk, bør man forvente at en actiontegneserie satt til Uganda er det. Dette smaker mer av Inglorious Basterds i Afrika. Ingenting galt med det. Unknown Soldier gjør det imidlertid til et selling point at den sier noe vesentlig og viktig om verdenen vi lever i (“unafraid to confront some horrific truths about the world we live in (…) a comic that genuinely matters”, sier anbefalingen på omslaget, skrevet av, av alle, Garth Ennis). Serien behandler kanskje sitt kildemateriale med større respekt enn de fleste hollywoodske krigsfiksjoner. Likevel føles det som den den gjør krav på en alvorstyngde som ikke riktig følges opp. “I’m going after the leader of the LRA, Joseph Kony. I’ll hunt him in Uganda, Sudan, DRC, wherever I have to. Tell them I’m coming”, snerrer Moses Lwanga bak bandasjemasken. Dette er hva Uganda trenger for å komme ut av flere tiår med væpnet konflikt: Rambo.

I seriens innledning, da Lwanga fremdeles har sin pasifistiske overbevisning intakt, ser han med forakt på en vestlig hjelpearbeider som snakker om konflikten i Uganda. “She looks at us and sees only genocide, child soldiers, AIDS and famine. Her altruism borders on fetishism”, fnyser han. Replikken kan leses som en selvreflekterende kommentar til Dysarts egen serie: han har reist til Afrika og bringer tilbake drap og barnesoldater. Forfatteren har uttrykt tvil om sitt eget prosjekt. “I witnessed people at the lowest point of their lives, and I came back and turned it into an action-packed war comic”, uttalte han ifølge New York Times. “We try our best not to be exploitative, but in my heart I don’t know if this is the right way to do it.” Det vet ikke jeg heller.

DMZ er ren fiksjon. Unknown Soldier er grundig researchet og basert på virkelige hendelser. Likevel kjennes DMZ langt virkeligere enn Unknown Soldier. DMZ bruker fantasi som et virkemiddel for å si noe meningsfullt om vårt eget samfunn. Unknown Soldier tar utgangspunkt i virkeligheten, men flykter inn i voldsfantasier. Resultatet er en godt laget actionserie som forsøker å selge seg som litt mer enn den er.

Dette er en utvidet versjon av en artikkel som sto på trykk i Verdensmagasinet X 5-2009.

Unknown Soldier: Haunted House
Joshua Dysart (tekst) og Alberto Ponticelli (tegning)
Vertigo / DC Comics 2009
Utdrag i PDF

DMZ #7: War Powers
Brian Wood (tekst) Kristian Donaldson og Riccardo Burchielli (tegning)
Vertigo / DC Comics 2009
Hele første utgave i PDF

Yes that is the title given to my piece on UK dubstep for the “British Sessions Part I” issue of Covers Magazine. I am not 100% happy with the edits made (a lot of coke in the Thames WTF?), but it is meant to be an intro piece for people who have never heard of dubstep before.

Read it here.

Mi scuso per questi momenti di vuoto, ma stiamo costruendo a nome DMZ qualcosa di nuovo e molto  più grande, avrà sempre la forma del blog e i contenuti nello stile che avete avuto modo di assaggiare in questi giorni, solo sarà in dimensione allargata, con un gruppo di lavoro più numeroso e con un’attenzione tutta nuova alla realtà locale…..

Per il momento vi lascio sulle spine, dateci ancora 15 giorni di lavori incessanti, tra studio universitario (per gli ultimi esami) e  manipolazioni sul materiale informatico e poi vedrete….se il risultato sarà proporzionale al nostro investimento in materia di tempo e energie sarete più che soddisfatti.

Così non dovrete più aspettare più di un giorno tra un post e quello seguente….

a presto

DMZ

OH SHEEEEEEEEEYIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIT

It looks like there’s been a lil’ war goin’ on over in the Koreas, nothin’ big, juss sum ships firin’ at each otha n’ stuff…

- sf1

After weeks of fretting collecting recommendations, writing essays, re-writing essays, going crazy, re-re-writing essays, eating stuff, re-re-re-writing essays and the like, the grad school application process is finally over. While the last week has been spent trying to slowly decompress from the last few weeks, I’m finally in a position to get back to finishing this travelogue – only 3 months after my visit. So, I’m going to try to wrap everything up in two posts. Bear with me, there’s a bit of stuff.

—

Our first stop on the next day was the Korean Folk Gift Store Folk Museum. Related in someways to the Korean Stamp Museum, the Folk Museum was also a collection of uninteresting exhibits that began (and ended) with a visit to one of the ubiquitous gift stores selling the same old tired copies of Kim Il-Sung’s Collected Works and posters and stuff. At this point, you could almost count on someone saying “Another gift store?” when we stopped somewhere.

It’s no surprise that they’d have a cultural museum in Kaesong though – the city was an ancient capital of Korea during the Koryo period (which, incidentally, is where we get our name of Korea from) and has a lot of old tombs scattered around, like the tomb of King Kong Min we had seen the day before. But it’s not as if this museum was interesting or anything – far from it. We were herded through a series of fake old Korea-style buildings, each housing some kind of Korean exhibit, until we found ourselves back in the parking lot.

Trying to peek over the wall

Add to this the fact that were once again in a walled compound and you might see our frustrations. Going to Pyongyang is one thing – Pyongyang is the jewel of the North Korean crown. Pyongyang is where everyone close to the DPRK authorities lives, it’s where the authorities themselves live. You don’t decide to live in Pyongyang, you’re chosen to do so. There’s not really anything to hide in Pyongyang because it’s the best that North Korea can be.

But, Kaesong doesn’t seem to be that way, despite the fact that most tours come here anyway. Tallying up my time in Kaesong, we spent our daylight hours either at the Tomb (far outside the city), the Museum (walled off) and the DMZ (far away). Otherwise, we were in the hotel which, surprise surprise, is also walled off. So, naturally you grow a little curious when you realize there’s a city somewhere out there, but you’re being hidden from it (or it’s being hidden from you, one of the two).

But hey, at least the big man came here (too).

Hey, he looks like he's enjoying it at least

And in the parking lot, we got our little taste of spontaneity – even the DPRK can’t control everything.

They just kind of walked up and their herder had no idea what to do

—

The DMZ was our next stop. It’s only the most dangerous border in the world, separating two countries that are at war.

It’s actually a pretty beautiful place, lots of fresh air and nature. The 4 kilometers or so that separate the two countries hasn’t been developed in roughly 50 years or so, so it’s become a refuge for all sorts of endangered animals that couldn’t leave elsewhere. That said, the border is also still heavily mined, so occasionally animals step on them and blow up. At least, those are the rumors I’ve heard.

Nature behind the wire

Having missed my chance to visit the DMZ from the South, I can only go by what I’ve heard, but getting to the DMZ is much easier coming from the North. Once you’re on a tour in the North, you’re almost certainly going to go see the DMZ (got to show the imperialist guards intruding on Korean land donchaknow?) and the process to get there is almost free of bureaucratic tape. South Korea has checkpoints, guards, terrifying US military personnel, that sort of thing.

In the North, you kinda just show up. We lounged around in a small parking lot area until things cleared up ahead (and until one of our fellow tourists got over his stomach bug) and then we started a slow lumbering roll down a path bordered with barbed wire, towards Panmunjom.

Where they worked out the Armistice to end hostilities

Panmunjom is a truce village that was constructed to open talks on an armistice between the DPRK and the United Nations – the DPRK makes a big point here to tell you that the cowardly Americans were unwilling to come out with it and say that they attacked instead of hiding behind the UN flag. The village straddled both sides of the conflict, but now sits on the Northern side of the border.

Next stop was a large building that was actually the room where they worked out many of the details and signed the actual armistice (which, incidentally, South Korea has yet to sign). It’s here where you can see the actual treaties that each side signed.

The English text of the Armistice

Here is also where the North Koreans will point out that the UN flag has faded over the years, while the colors of the DPRK flag have stayed bold without having to do anything (yup).

Korean text for the armistice / DPRK soldier

Of course, next was the place that most people consider to actually be the DMZ – the Joint Security Area.

The Joint Security Area

The Joint Security Area is managed by the South Korean and US armies on the Southern side, and the DPRK’s army on the North and is the only place where North and South Korean soldiers stand face to face. From the North, you walk past a big stone monument behind the main DPRK building (Panmungak) at the JSA in a double-file line. Then, you walk into one of the several buildings that the UN constructed for military meetings between the North and South. Each building is split evenly by the border, but is (usually) only occupied by one side or the other. When you come in from the North, you inhabit the entire building and North Korean soldiers stand guard at the entrance to the Southern side, and ditto for ROK soldiers guarding the door to the North should you enter on a Southern tour.

Notice the two DPRK soldiers to the right and rear of the picture? Through there lies the South.

Couple of things you can’t do when you come in on the Southern side: you can’t sit in the chairs or touch things (the DPRK soldiers almost ordered us to sit down and touch stuff – apparently it’s a bit of a fight between the two sides in that the North leaves things messy when they leave because the South will have to clean it up). You can’t smile or wave or make any kind of sign towards the North, nor can you wear anything that might look good to a DPRK propaganda video (needless to say, we’re probably on several propaganda videos now, but even without that, you can wave and smile and hoop and holler on the Northern side).

It's the South!

We then got to take some pictures, especially of the tourists on the Southern side, who I’m sure were more shocked to see us than we were to see them. If we strayed too close to the line, the KPA (Korean People’s Army – DPRK) soldiers would clap and gesture for us to get back. We didn’t see it fit to try and push that.

In Picture: North Korean and South Korean soldiers, demarcation line.

After that, we entered the tall building on the North Korean side (Panmunguk) and looked down at the South for a bit. The guards had to change position because the tourists from the South were going to enter, which meant that they had to leave the buildings and let the South Koreans in with the appropriate pomp and flair. While watching this, one of the generals on the line from the North came to talk to us, using the guides to interpret for him. It was a pretty shallow questions, and unable to come up with anything suitably challenging I watched mutely while the others exchanged pleasantries.

Anyway, we made it through and didn’t die through our visit, so I call that a success.

—

We had a bit of time before we were to leave Kaesong, so before lunch we took a bit of a street walk up to a hill. There was not much to do, probably because the restaurant wasn’t ready for us yet. So, we walked up a big hill to an overlook, and rested a bit before our next huge meal. That meal was fairly good, and was served in the old Korean style, which uses many tiny bowls filled with individual side dishes. Not much to say, but here are the pictures:

Of course, we had to save some time for fun

It wasn't only us, everyone walks in North Korea

This was the statue that was lit up last night - it's not as impressive in the daytime

Probably the better part of Kaesong if anything

After lunch, we hopped on the bus for another three hour drive to Pyongyang. Destination: the Mass Games “Arirang”, farewell dinner and clubbing at the Diplo, and our flight back to China.

Ce lo siamo tenuti segreto come un progetto da base missilistica ai tempi dell’unione sovietica, a stento lo abbiamo comunicato a chi di dovere, e adesso, noi diemmezeti ( io e ste, che siamo scrivendo a quttro mani, io batto i tasti a sinistra della “t” e lui quelli a destra) ,vi annunciamo che abbiamo l’onore di avere fatto una puntata di DMZ ospitando Gianni Miraglia.

Chi ci segue da molto tempo sa che il libro di Gianni è stato l’architrave della nostra prima puntata in diretta, è stato lo stimolo a creare un stile più grezzo ( non editato), spontaneo e meno occhieggiante all’ascoltatore  Con Six Pack abbiamo messo il primo pezzo di un film e letto il primo fumetto;  per noi ha rappresentato una frattura anche personale, visto che la quarta puntata ( quella di six pack) ha significato un cambio totale di formazione: Ado ha lasciato il progetto, e a Davide in regia si è sostituito Ste….e il buon Lava si è preso l’onere di scegliere brani film e finalmente fumetti.

Ma ora veniamo al nostro ospite: Gianni è arrivato da noi con una pigna di cd invidiabile, di cui io conoscevo a  malapena la metà degli autori, abbiamo lavorato improvvisando battuta dopo battuta, e si può dire che la trasmissione è iniziata a Milano in piazzale Loreto, e che  purtroppo abbiamo iniziato a  registrare solo quando avevamo dei microfoni davanti…la prossima volta ci porteremo dietro il registratore così non perderemo neanche una parola.

La puntata è stata fatta totalmente in diretta, nessun taglio: con le pause, gli assaggi di pizza, le birre, tutta la realtà di una chiaccherata amichevole, nessuna messa in scena; volevamo essere anni luce distanti da una scaletta tra wikipedia, ondarock e lifegate…volevamo avvicinarci alla realtà dell’incontro tra persone con cammini e storie molto diverse, che talvolta si fraintendono, ci mettono un po’ a formulare le domande e un po’ a rispondere: i concetti si rincorrono, noi diffidiamo da chi li propina già cotti e pronti all’uso. Speriamo questo si colga!!

Ovviamente ringrazio Gianni che è stato un ospite perfetto, in grado di adattarsi alla nostra cucina-studio, sempre sul pezzo neanche avesse fatto radio per tutta la vita, speriamo di ri-averlo presto tra i nostri ospiti.

Intanto vi lascio il link al suo fanclub su facebook, al suo vecchio blog, e anche ad una scheda sul suo libro uscita su Nazione Indiana.

Cos’altro? Imperativo categorico ascoltarci Lunedì 9 alle 19 solo su mwradio.it

o in replica Giovedì 12  alle 22:00

A few weeks ago I woke up at an ungodly hour on a Saturday morning. The reason? Go check out the DMZ (De-Militarized Zone) between North and South Korea. It happens to be “the most heavily militarized border in the world.” (Korean Demilitarized Zone Info)

My parents were in town, and we booked a tour with the US Military USO.

South Korea in the foreground, North Korea in the background

I typically loathe tours, but this is the only way to get to the JSA (Joint Security Area). A few weeks back I tried to make it there with a friend, and we were taken off a bus by the military.

They are pretty tight on photography at the DMZ, but here are a few shots I managed to get.

South Korean soldier

The above soldier is a guard in one of the buildings in the JSA that lies directly on the Military Demarcation Line (MDL). Half of the building is technically in South Korea, the other half in North Korea.

Rice field, South Korean flag

Rice grown in close proximity to the DMZ is sold for a much higher price than other rice in Korea. Supposedly the air is much purer there. CNN recently had an article about “the accidental paradise of the DMZ” where many plant and animal species are flourishing.

The South Korean flag in the above picture lies across the border from the North Korean propaganda village, which boasts the highest flag tower in the world. The flag itself weighs 270kg.

Here is a picture I took a couple of years ago, on a not-so-clear day.

North Korean Propaganda Village

Other pictures:

South Korean military vehicle, Christian cross in the background?

US soldier guide

MP armband

]]> http://radicalcontra.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/what-conplan-5029-is-not/ Mon, 02 Nov 2009 04:21:44 +0000 Joseph Steinberg http://radicalcontra.wordpress.com/2009/11/02/what-conplan-5029-is-not/ http://warfacelx.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/mala-b2b-coki-dmz/ Sat, 31 Oct 2009 00:35:37 +0000 warfacelx http://warfacelx.wordpress.com/2009/10/31/mala-b2b-coki-dmz/

this video is probably from 1 year ago but its prertty sick

Just back from my local comic book shop. More superhero books than I normally buy for some reason:

Chew #5 – John Layman and Rob Guillory (Image): The final issue of this fun little read about an FDA agent who gets psychic impressions from whatever he eats (including severed fingers and deceased pets). Doesn’t take itself seriously, which I like in a comic.

Ignition City #5 – Warren Ellis, Gianluca Pagliarnai (Avatar): About time this one comes out.  I love this series, but Avatar’s publishing schedule is giving me a headache. I guess these smaller press outfits (Boom! and IDW included) operate like the golden age of comics publishing – you get it when you get it. My series review is posted here.

Fantastic Four #572 – Jonathan Hickman, Dale Eaglesham (Marvel): The first arc by the new creative team. It’s really a Reed Richards solo story. The jury is out for me until the story is complete. I gave the Millar/Hitch a try, but abandoned that one two issues in because it wasn’t really doing much for me. I like my FF cosmic adventures and domestic strife.

Guardians of the Galaxy #19 – Dan Abnett, Andy Lanning and Wesley Craig (Marvel): Kang the Conqueror’s still around? I grabbed this one totally on a whim. I loved what Keith Giffen did with the team in Annihilation Conquest. There’s no Rocket Raccoon (presumable he’s dead?) but I was sold on Cosmo the dog. I’ll be curious to see if it’s still as much fun as Giffen’s run.

Die Hard Year One #2 – Howard Chaykin and Stephen Thompson (Boom! Studios): I don’t usually go for licensed books, but this one intrigued me based on the write-up on the Living Between Wednesdays blog. Definitely a slow build with the introduction of far too many characters. I’ll be interested to see how issue #2 unfolds.  But I definitely prefer Brubaker and Phillips’ Criminal for a good crime/heist story.

Astro City Special: Astra #2 – Kurt Busiek, Brent E. Anderson (Wildstorm): The latest entry in the Astro City family. The book goes monthly starting with the next issue that comes out. I’m debating whether to keep picking this one up. It’s not at the top of my list, but it’s definitely not at the bottom (unlike the latest New Mutants series, sorry).

Madame Xanadu #16, cover

And finally Madame Xanadu #16 – Matt Wagner and Amy Reeder Hadley (Vertigo): New arc. The original creative team is back. Sexy magic – the best kind? Includes a preview of Luna Park, which look wicked.

Unfortunately, Northlanders #21 was sold out. I really enjoy Brian Wood’s DMZ, but haven’t tried this series yet. Based on some pencilled pages posted on the Vertigo blog recently, I thought I’d pick up this new arc.

Inizio questa sezione di assaggi, recensioni senza senso, parlando del fumetto che ha collaborato ( insieme ad altre dmz) a dare il nome alla nostra trasmissione, ovvero DMZ di Brian Wood e Riccardo Burchielli, ed in particolare alla sua ultima uscita italiana, il quinto volume : La Guerra Nascosta edito da Planeta DeAgostini. Se non sapete assolutamente niente di Dmz a fumetti o ascoltate la nostra puntata numero otto, dedicata alle periferie, oppure vi leggete questo bigino. ( in inglese).

La Guerra Nascosta è una raccolta di 6 storie brevi, e testimonia come Brian Wood sia in grado di dare il meglio della sua creatività nella piccola misura; è abile nel costruire scenari limitati e trame brevi, quasi tutti gli episodi filano benissimo, con punte di elevato lirismo, come la stupenda ” Decade Later“, prima storia dell’albo.

Wood è un ottimo architetto degli interni, non sa costruire i palazzi a 50 piani, ma stanza dopo stanza sta rendendo la Dmz del suo fumetto uno spazio estremamente vivibile, e godibile, anche se frammentario e autoindulgente.

1-Decade Later ( decade passata),la prima storia vale di per sè l’acquisto dell’albo, intensa riflessione sull’arte e la sua fruizione; continuo dialogo tra fumetto e grafica, non solo nell’approccio al disegno di Riccardo Burchielli. Ritroviamo lo scenario violento e incomprensibile di Body of a Journalist, lo spirito interrogativo che animava i principi della serie, senza particolari velleità narrative. Perfetta.

2-Amina 4-Kelly 6-Soames, Burchielli e Wood riprendono personaggi abbandonati della serie e ne proseguono ( o ripercorrono nel caso di Soames) la storia: struttura efficace, forma meno. La storia di Soames non funziona nel rendere folle un personaggio precedentemente trattato con estremo raziocinio, il registro onirico è totalmente fuori luogo; rimane comunque abbastanza piacevole.

3-Wilson. Il disegno sporco di Zezelj era perfetto per la serie, il suo aspetto da fotografia fotocopiata, l’estetica da volantino da centro sociale, perchè colorarlo? perchè momento che si convoca l’autore di Rex ( uno dei miei fumetti preferiti ) non lo si lascia lavorare come sempre, in fondo il suo stile è quello da vent’anni, appartiene alla categoria dei disegnatori non evolutivi, aggiungergli qualcosa ( anche solo il colore) è un’idiozia.

5-Random Fire. Racconto per le matite di Nathan Fox….va bene lo ammetto l’ho saltato 4 volte prima di costringermi a leggerlo, la storia è forse tra le migliori dell’albo, i disegni sono inguardabili.

Bene ho fatto il mio dovere, non so chi leggerà questa recensione, non lavoro più per un blog straletto di fumetti, ma anche scrivere è un’esigenza.

Hoy toca la configuración de un servidor adicional como servidor Front-End. Me he dado cuenta que esta práctica, esta basada en una entrada de la Web http://www.bujarra.com/ con alguna pequeña modificación.

Lo intereante en una organización es tener acceso desde el exterior seguro, para eso se usan las DMZ, y lógicamente no vamos a meter un servidor de Exchange en ella con sus buzones, ya que los usuarios no deben acceder desde la LAN a la DMZ. Lo que se hace es crear uno o varios servidores que hagan de Front-End en la DMZ que tengan Exchange, pero sólo para las conexiones exteriores, le entraría el tráfico SMTP y HTTP/HTTPS para los usuarios desde internet puedan ver el correo OWA.

En este paso, crearemos un servidor Front-End y vemos cómo se configurará. Se supone que en la LAN ya tendremos nuestrso servidores con los buzones de MS Excahnge a los que se acceden desde la LAN con clientes de correo tipo MS Outlook.

Este sería el aspecto idoóneo de una DMZ con Exchange, uno en la DMZ que sólo es accesible desde el exterior y sólo se usa para leer el correo vía OWA (con HTTPS), y con el SMTP redireccionado de la DMZ a la LAN. El servidor de alamcén de buzones estaría en la LAN con todos los clientes.

Para configurar cual queremos que sea el Front-End, tenemos que abrir la consola de Administrador del Sistema de Exchange, y sobre el servidor que queramos que sea el Front-End botón derecho > Propieadades.

Sólo debemos marcar el check de Este es un servidor de aplicaciones para usuario, Aceptamos.

Habría que reiniciar que para que los cambios surjan efectos, o lógicamente reiniciar estos servicos a mano.

Como adicional, sería interesante asegurar el tráfico de OWA con HTTPS.

Habría que recordar los puertos que hay que tener abiertos entre la DMZ y la LAN:

80 TCP o 443 – Para HTTP o HTTPS

25 TCP – SMTP

691 TCP – Links State-Algorithm Routing

389 TCP + 389 UDP – LDAP al Directorio Activo

3268 TCP – Catálogo Global al Directorio Activo

88 TCP + 88 UDP – Autentificación Kerberos

53 TCP + 53 UDP – Resolución de nombres DNS

143 TCP – Opcional: IMAP

110 TCP – Opcional: POP

993 TCP – Opcional: SSL IMAP Seguro

995 TCP – Opcional: SSL POP Seguro

Y entre Internet y la DMZ:

80 TCP o 443 TCP – Para HTTP o HTTPS

25 TCP – SMTP

Convincersi che l’ascoltatore debba sempre essere imboccato è stato un errore, piuttosto grosso, nella costituzione di alcune puntate, a risentirmi ho ecceduto di didascalicità, di predicazionismo, forse per la riuscita delle trasmissione è meglio lasciare scorrere i testi: chi vuole coglie, chi non vuole si lascia solo suggestionare dai suoni.

In questo senso avevamo già aperto una via con la puntata On the Road, avevamo ripristinato lo stile dei nostri primi lavori: nessuna intenzione didattica, nessun itinerario organico, solo associazioni percettive, anzi elettive. Allora ho costituito una playlist di musica elettronica (perlopiù), un po’ per avvicinarci alle sonorità della puntata in collaborazione con Paolo di pclectic ( qui il suo blog), un po’ perchè mi permetteva di affrontare nuove sonorità, e staccarmi dall’indie un po’ troppo battuto di recente.

La scelta dei brani musicali è stata facile, ho deciso di prendere gruppi che non si sono da sempre occupati di musica elettronica: Muse, Editors, Mazzy Star, Beirut…. anzi che provenissero da background sonori profondamente diversi, new-wave, folk bandistico, brit-rock, e che il synth lo usassero come complemento e completamento di un suono già esistente.

Le letture invece sono tratte da due raccolte di poesie: Versi Nuovi di Biagio Cepollaro ( qui il suo sito da cui potete scaricare intere raccolte poetiche dei maggiori autori degli ultimi 20 anni) e la Distrazione di Andrea Inglese ( che potete leggere su Nazione Indiana, in assoluto uno dei miei blog preferiti).

La dimensione della scrittura poetica a mio avviso si poteva avvicinare alla frammentarietà meccanica di alcune sonorità che ho proposto, per cui a voi decidere se il risultato è stato efficace.

Domani alle 19:00 su Mwradio.it

L’immagine di questo post è di  Anton Corbijn, fotografo e regista, foto analogica, medioformato Hasselbald….

some old proposals for my idols

Last weekend I visited Aegibong, a nearby hill that overlooks the Han River.  On the other side of the river is North Korea.  In order to visit the site, you have to go through a military checkpoint and pay a couple dollars, but it’s definitely worth it.  From the hilltop you can see quite a ways into North Korea, and there are also telescopes available.

a sign promoting cooperation bewtween the military branches at Aegibong

looking across the river

the view to the north

The first thing I noticed about North Korea was the lack of trees.  The only trees are right next to the river, on the south side of the border fence, i.e. beyond the reach of the North Korean peasants.  And, from what I could see, peasants is definitely the right word.  There were no vehicles, just some small rice farms, and some concrete, bunker-like houses without paint or other adornment.  Looking through the telescope, I could see some farmers harvesting rice by hand; one person was leading an ox, but otherwise the only labor source seemed to be human hands.  Given that the settlement in question was labeled as an “advertisement village” on the map at Aegibong, I have to wonder what the villages farther north look like.

notice how the only trees are right next to the river

a view of the "advertisement village"

a closer view

Standing on the South Korean side, with its lush forests, modern roads, heavy traffic, and built-up landscape, it felt distinctly surreal to be staring across at the wasteland across the river, like looking into another world.

looking west down the Han River; South Korea on the left, North Korea on the right

Designer/illustrator: Riccardo Burchielli

Getting into North Korea is a tricky affair. Tourists aren’t allowed in except on guided tours where the guide actually follows you around the whole time! It’s also prohibitively expensive given the quality of food and lodging that you get. An alternative is to just go on a tour of the Demilitarized Zone (DMZ), which is what I did in April. It gives visitors a chance to step into North Korean territory, if only for a few minutes. There wasn’t any dramatic scenery or exotic culture to brag about, but the trip proved to be a surreal experience.

Reunification Park

The only way to book a tour of Panmunjom from South Korea is via accredited travel agencies. We went via Grace Travel and it cost about US$45-50 per person. Basically, the tour took about 6 hours. Transportation, lunch and a guided tour was included for the price. We had to go to the Lotte Hotel in Seoul in the morning where the tour buses departed. In a mad rush, I accidentally lost my glasses on the way. But we still made it in time.

Before going to Panmunjom, we stopped by a few places including the reunification park, plus some small villages near the border. We were also shown the unused rail tracks that led all the way to North Korea. The tour itself was quite somber, with startling reminders of the Korean War and the Cold War. If I’m not mistaken, Korea remains as the only divided nation in the world – a divided nation in the sense that the Korean people are homogenous and share the same language, culture and traditions but they are split into two- and it is hard to imagine that the wealth disparity between the two countries could be any wider.

We stopped for a Korean lunch on the way to the DMZ. As usual, we were fed with an array of appetizers including the famous kimchi. Most people find Korean food to be an acquired taste but I didn’t have any problems with it. In fact, I love their cuisine. I really like their staple barbequed meats and bibimbap. Just thinking of it makes me hungry.

good old Korean food

After lunch, we headed straight to Panmunjom which is the place I was really excited about. Security was tight from the time we went in. A young American soldier stayed with us the whole time inside the bus. He joked around with the group and seemed like a really nice guy. Someone in the group asked him how it was being stationed in the DMZ, and he replied that it was really boring. I’m not suprised!

We arrived at Camp Bonifas inside the DMZ and alighted in order to watch a slide show about the Korean War and a briefing about the protocol inside. We were not allowed to wave to the people in the North Korean side, make unnecessary gestures or bring cameras with large lenses. We were also given a United Nations ID in order to identify us as visitors. The whole thing really looked like a big thing to them, and anything involving North Korea was taken seriously. Of course, it didn’t help that our visit coincided with a missile test conducted by Pyongyang just a few days before so tensions were high.

me inside the conference room

We finally arrived into the blue conference room which is divided into the North and South. It looked like a humble shack with some desks and chairs inside. A South Korean soldier was also standing guard, with a clenched fist and taekwondo pose. We were allowed to roam around the room – so for a few minutes I was technically in North Korea. From the outside, we could see the North Korean soldiers in the building on their side. They were likewise peering at us, probably wondering what sort of amusement tourists get in visiting places like these. We were also shown the North Korean ghost town, where the buildings were set up to look like the North is actually doing well. It even had a very tall flag post and a speaker blared North Korean propaganda at regular intervals. We also stopped by a monument that showed the dozen or so countries that fought in the Korean War. The Philippines was one of them, and it was the only Southeast Asian country that participated aside from Thailand.

the great divide

The tour ended with an obligatory souvenir store stop which to me, ruined the tension-filled atmosphere of the place. They had these North Korean banknotes for sale with the picture of Kim Il Sung, the late president of the communist North. It reminded me that my technical “visit” into that isolated country didn’t really count, and that I might come back to take another tour of the DMZ next time, perhaps from the North side. I know I will.

South Korean soldiers

Os Estados Unidos se dividiram em um conflito que já dura cinco anos. Até a Ilha de Manhattan, o estado americano se mantém. Após esse ponto divisório, há os separatistas que fundaram o Estado Livre. A Ilha se tornou uma zona desmilitarizada – a DMZ (demilitarized zone, em português, zona desmilitarizada) se encontra destruída.
O fotógrafo Matthew Roth é designado para uma visita à ilha como parte de uma cobertura jornalística da tentativa de cessar fogo. Chegando lá, o helicóptero que o levava é abatido e ele agora se encontra no meio do conflito.
Brian Wood, o mesmo de Local, mostra aos americanos seu maior medo. Um conflito dentro de seu próprio território. Os desenhos, também dele e de Ricardo Burchielli, são fantásticos e a história segue um rítmo no início confuso, mas que depois vai se acertando. Vale a pena imaginar um conflito assim.

DMZ #01-12
DMZ #13-22

On the way to the DMZ, someone noticed that our bus looked like the interior of the Back to The Future car! It did indeed! The driver, a shy and retiring kind of guy, had at least two GPS systems, a DVD player and screen, numerous Walkie talkies and lots of lights littering the front windscreen!

On the way home, without the watchful eye of the tour guide, the diver came well and truly out of his shell! He showed us his handgun, Police I.D (?!) and the bus’ siren! He also put on a DVD of Woodstock 99, pumped up the bass and shouted random things in Korean to us! While we were rocking out to bands from our school years the people in the other tour bus were reading! Ha! Even the Seoul traffic didn’t stop us, the driver put on his siren, pulled on to the hard shoulder and carried on his journey at 80 miles an hour! ”We will remember this bus journey for the rest of our lives!” (Alison).

The Demilitarized  Zone is the 155 mile long and 2.5 mile wide stretch of land that separates North and South Korea. Apparently it is the most heavily militarized border in the world, with an estimated 10,000 heavy artillery pieces, 4 million landmines and over a million soldiers standing armed and ready to attack at a moment’s notice. Where they going for irony calling it the Demilitarized Zone….?

There is a huge amount of history surrounding the DMZ, most of which is now lost in the murky depths of my brain despite the tours guide’s best efforts. Our first stop was Imjingak Park, a place that despite being marketed as a tourist area, complete with small theme park, also had some interesting sights. The first of these was the Freedom Bridge, the only bridge to cross the Imjin river thus connecting North and South Korea. The story goes that this bridge got its name when 13,000 prisoners of war crossed it crying Hooray for freedom. Currently the bridge is blocked but hope for a unified Korea is suggested by the brightly coloured messages and banners that cover the blockade. Also more sadly are the pleas for news about lost family members, over 7 million Korean families are still separated by the DMZ, stories of which were definitely missing from the whole of the tour. Also in this area was a stopped train which has stood were it was stopped since the 1950s, the slogan for the train was “This Iron Horse wants to run”. I think working for Bombardier for two years has made me a bit of a train geek as I was mesmerised by this old, rusty train. Along with the train is the Peace Bell, rung for the hope of unification and the Unification Pond.

After Imjingak we got on a coach to the 3rd Infiltration Tunnel. On the way the fact that we were entering in to a War Zone became a little clearer as the coach was boarded by soldiers to count how many of us were entering and other soldiers stood watch with guns. Between November 1974 and March 1990, South Korea discovered the four infiltration tunnels that cross the DMZ. When they were discovered the North tried to cover it up by saying they were coal mines and even went to the trouble of painting the walls black to look like coal. Upon arrival to the tunnel we were given warnings about how we shouldn’t enter if we were asthmatic or claustraphobic…immediately my heart began to race, my palms began to get sweaty but I decided to venture down anyway.It actually wasn’t as bad as the warnings suggested. There were parts where the tunnel was a bit dark and very low, I lost count of the amount of times James hit is head! Luckily we had all been provide with bump hats! According to the guidebook the tunnel is large enough to permit the passage of an entire infantry division to Seoul in one hour. However the way we all felt after walking less than a quarter of the tunnel its hard to imagine them actually having the energy to attack after.

After the tunnel we watched a short film, then journeyed to Dorasan Train Station, an ultra sleek and modern albeit surreal empty subway station. Currently, it is the northern most stop in South Korea but in the spirit of hope is ready to take visitors all the way to Pyongyang once unification is declared.

Our last stop was the Dorasan Observatory, sitting a top a mountain it offers the best views over the DMZ. binoculars lined the wall enabling us to get a view few Westerners have the priviledge of seeing. Unfortunately photos could only be taken from a few feet away from the edge and the clouds were to thick to capture the view. We did manage to see the North and South Korean flags, the North being the largest flagpole in the world at 160 metres due to their not wanting to be outdone by the South! We also caught  a glimpse of Gijeong-Dong, North Korea’s propaganda village which was built in the 1950s with electric lighting (something very few North and South Koreans had the luxury of at this time) to show the prosperity of the North. It took a while for South Korea to realise that this village was actually just an empty shell and that the lights were going on and off with a timer. Large speakers line the edge of this “ghost city” with the purpose of playing messages of propaganda to the South.

The way  back to Imjingak game us time to reflect on the visit. Although the area had felt like it had sold its soul to tourism and left out some of the important first hand accounts of the displaced people, divided families and the atrocities of war, the messages of peace, hope and unification was inspiring. However, it did make me wonder how realistic the hopes for a unified Korea actually are. I noticed a definite note in most of the literature that North Koreans were bad, untrustworthy etc and I think, even if the physical barriers were removed, it may take a long time for the deep-set feelings of mistrust and otherness to disperse enough to actually unify these two countries.

One of the most positive and awe inspiring things I learnt about this deadly, war ridden area is that despite being lethal to humans, the natural world has flourished here. The DMZ is now recognised as one of the most well preserved areas of temperate habitat in the world. Amongst the landmines and barbed wire 2,900 plant species, 700 different mammals and 320 types of bird prosper here, many of which are endangered species. Once unification has been achieved there are plans to turn this area into a wildlife reserve.

We went to the utmost south of North Korea: the border town Panmunjon and the next big city Kaesong. A long drive over an endless straight highway, built for absolutely NO traffic and passing by one of the most beautiful mountain ranges i’ve ever seen. Along the entire trip, i’ve only seen mountains, which could have been sculpted by any artist.

Then we arrived in Panmunjon. Hordes of Chinese People, staying there on their holiday, while North Korea received a big time visit from China today in the capital. All over the place, just before the DMZ started, about 150 tourists waited to be let through to the actual border.
You could see the tank barricades, which, in case of invasion, would be dropped to the road by detonating charges along the road.

So every vehicle got it’s soldier. One of them was the official tourist guide too and took us to all the different sites, where the cease-fire was negotiated, where it was signed and to the houses right ON the border, where some negotiations were held. I would have loved to also see South Korean soldiers and some American soldiers, but they hid themselves. There were no tourists today on the south side. But what I did notice was all the cameras mounted on either side of border, staring at each other. The South had more of them.

So the soldier/guide came up and asked, if and what questioned I had. I had some… How has he been now in the army, what rank do border posts have at Panmunjon and are they specially selected… Have there been any incidences, when somebody ran from the north to the south or from the south to the north… Turns out, he was five years in the army, the rank of the border posts are normal foot soldiers, who really really believe in the system. And in 1983, there had been a “sowjet” student who fled from the north to the south, running across the line. The incidence started, when North Korean soldiers came running after him and crossed to the south, too. He didn’t know, what happened afterwards and neither of what became of that sowjet student.

On the way back to where we started, I noticed that he had only been answering our questions. So I asked him, if HE had any questions to foreigners like me. He took a moment to think about it. Obviously he took it very seriously. He asked, what the opinion was, on North Korea pursuing their nuclear weapons program. And he heard as answer, that it’s not just an internal nor bilateral thing, but that it concerns the entire world, because the effects of a nuclear weapon reaches the entire world. We started a nice little discussion on what to do. So my obvious answer was to rid the peninsula of nuclear weapons and research of any kind. That would lead to trust in the long run and would help to integrate North Korea into the world. He had then doubts about integration. So I explained to him, that countries growing together and integrating would mean the build-up of trust. And to answer a common “fear” here in the north, I told him, integrating countries does NOT mean losing its respective individuality and sovereignty. The European Union after WWII was a perfect example. Nobody wants to attack North Korea. It’s for peace.
By that time, we reached the last check point. We thanked each other for our talk and he seemed authentically happy about our small discussion, despite him being a very devout North Korean soldier who believes in the system and that there’s supposedly a threat from “imperialist” America. He seemed very smart and kind. I made NK propaganda responsible for that paranoia. …so… We didn’t reach any conclusion, but the important thing was that we talked. He listened, he talked… to a foreigner. And we shook hands.

So I went to Kaesong to see the city. Obviously much smaller than Pyongyang but still built in the socialist chic. But people smile and wave back, when you smile and wave at them. They greet you back and they laugh with you. That doesn’t mean, they haven’t any hardships, on the contrary, they’re especially stricken with a hard life. But something seems to keep them going and I’m not talking about government propaganda nor the smile of Kim Il Sung. Maybe it’s hope.

It’s one thing to visit a site that was once a part of history, but it’s a totally unique experience to be able to visit a place that is still very much a part of history in the making. North Korea and South Korea have been at war since WWII and the Demilitarized Zone is a heavily guarded part of that reality.

While visiting the DMZ (Demilitarized War Zone) might sound a little scary, I’m here to tell you that I’ve been there and the tours are extremely professional and you’ll walk away like you just had an out of body experience. Most companies offer either a half day or full day tour and so let’s look more closely at what might be right for you.

The First Step

I’m going to state the obvious. You want to fly into South Korea. Let’s not be confused as to who our friends are. South Korea is an extremely tourist friendly country and also has the world’s best airport! Be sure to fly into Seoul and you can make DMZ arrangements from there.

Make Sure You Have

You must have your passport on you at all times. Also, cameras are allowed but there will be restrictions on what pictures you can and cannot take. A dress-code is strictly enforced and you can check with the tour company about their specific regulations.

For the Non-Tour Group People

Yes, it’s totally possible to do the DMZ on your own, but I don’t recommend it. The tours are nicely put together and without a tour it’s too much of a hassle to get around. With that said, I can tell you that if you’re looking to attempt the DMZ by yourself the first thing you should do is head to Imjingak. Get a map, and then you’re on your own!

Now, Let’s Book a Tour

Tours can be booked online ahead of time, or at various hotels once you get to Seoul. For example, I live in South Korea and yet I booked a tour with a travel agency located in Lotte Hotel in Seoul. They don’t mind if you’re not a guest, they just want to fill up their tours! There are multiple tour websites online, but the one I used is http://www.tourdmz.com/english/main.php. 

Like I previously stated, you will have to choose from either a half day, or a full day tour. Tours originate in Seoul and generally leave at 8:00 AM and arrive at the DMZ around 9:00 AM. Let’s take a look at the half day tours first.

The Village of Panmunjeon

Famous for the signing of the Armistice Agreement in 1953, Panmunjeon is designated as the JSA or Joint Security Area for both Koreas. This means that this area is outside of administrative control for either North or South Korea.

You want a tour that takes you to Panmunjeon. Commonly referred to in the media as “Truce Village” this is the only area within the JSA where soldiers from both sides stand face to face. You definitely want to see this. Amazingly enough you are even allowed to take pictures of the soldiers, although it is for a very limited time and with strict surveillance of course.

Typical tours will start out at Camp Bonifas where you will watch a brief slideshow and then be asked to sign a document acknowledging that you are entering a hostile environment. This is serious stuff. Other places within the JSA will include the Freedom House which was built in 1998 and is where current talks between the two countries are held.

Perhaps the most interesting part of the tour for me was the tour of the conference room. It just so happens that the Military Demarcation Line has divided this room in half with one side being South Korea and the other North Korea. All day long there is a North Korean and a South Korean soldier standing guard at opposite sides of the room. It’s amazing! You can walk right up to them and you are allowed to take pictures of them too!

The last major point of the Panmunjeon tour is the Bridge of No Return. After the Armistice Agreement was signed this bridge was named after the prisoners of war who chose to go to the North without knowing that they would never be able to return to South Korea again.  

There are Other Things to See

While we’ve talked about a great half day tour so far, there are still so many other things to see. A full day tour will generally offer everything mentioned above, plus a few extras. Let’s talk about what else a full day tour might offer.

The Third Tunnel is a neat piece of history that you can now fully experience yourself. Discovered in 1978 the tunnel was build by the North Koreans who were planning on using it for a surprise attack on Seoul. It runs 1.1 miles into South Korea and sits 240 feet below ground. A trip here will allow you to walk down into a section of the tunnel yourself.

Another interesting point to see is the Dora Observatory. Situated on top of Mount Dora, the Dora Observatory is located on the 38^th parallel and looks over the DMZ. Visitors can catch a rare glimpse into North Korea though high tech binoculars.

Why  Go?

While on our tour we were given strict instructions not to speak or gesture to the guards and to avoid sudden movements or pointing to the other side when we were outside. While these are sort of disturbing guidelines, they were very real and made me appreciate even more the opportunity I had to visit the DMZ. A trip to the DMZ was always on the top of my list upon moving to South Korea and I highly recommend the experience to anyone who is visiting Seoul.

By Robyn Richards for AgoVita Travel