From Yahoo!
INVERNESS, Fla. - The daughter and son-in-law of the late Ted Williams have ended their two-year fight to have the baseball great's remains removed from an Arizona cryonics lab.

Bobby-Jo and Mark Ferrell spent close to $100,000 battling Williams' estate and his son, John Henry Williams. But when the money ran out, so did their will to keep trying, and a settlement was signed Tuesday.

"It's over," their attorney, John Heer said Wednesday. "There's just no way they could've afforded to litigate this thing."

Heer said the end was apparent last month after Mike Piazza of the New York Mets (news) offered to help the Ferrells get Williams' remains removed from the Alcor Life Extension Foundation in Scottsdale, Ariz. When the attorney for Williams' estate warned that intervention could result in legal action, Piazza quickly backed away.

"That was a crushing blow for us," Heer said.

When Williams died in Inverness, Fla., on July 5, 2002, a dispute over his body immediately broke out between Bobby-Jo Ferrell and her half brother.

She said her father's last will detailed his request to be cremated and his ashes scattered in his favorite fishing waters off the Florida coast. But John Henry Williams later produced a scrawled note, allegedly written by his father from a hospital bed, in which the Hall of Famer agreed to cryonics preservation.

Alcor stores human bodies and severed heads in vats of liquid nitrogen in the hope that someday science will be able to bring the dead to life.

John Henry Williams died of leukemia in March and his body reportedly is also being stored at Alcor's facility.

The settlement also ends a lawsuit against the Ferrells. Williams' estate sued in May after they sued Alcor, demanding the company produce paperwork showing that Williams wanted his remains stored at the facility.

Heer said two nephews of Williams are continuing the suit against Alcor.

Just finished reading the first 2 parts of this, and I have to say I've really enjoyed it.
[spoiler]I'm digging the whole Clint/Jan thing honestly. It's really about time she moves on to better things[/spoiler]

[spoiler]And Kelsey and Cap going at it was great. Someone needs ta put Captian "Doo good" in his place once and a while, it was nice to see a woman do it![/spoiler]
Sure, it's not a classic Avengers story, but... this isn't classic Anvengers and there are TONS of classic stories out there. I'm all about breathing new life into a book. I think, while many disagree, that Chuck Austen is doing a much better job of writing this book than he did writing the X-books.

So, have you read? Did your jaw drop at the last scene in #83/498?

Posted 14/06/2004
Source ThePulse

It seems as if a lot of Marvel's merry mutants are getting their own ongoing series. At the X-Men Reload panel a few new series were revealed: Nightcrawler and Gambit. Now, Marvel Comics has told THE PULSE about a September debuting Jubilee series featuring covers from Casey Jones and written by Robert Kirkman and featuring interiors by Derec Donovan. We caught up with Kirkman for a few quick comments about what's going to set this series apart from the typical mutant title out there.


Kirkman's worked with and created a few teen heroes in his day, but he told us what interested him about working with this particular character. "I don't get to play around with female characters too much and I figure now is as good a time as any," he said. "I've been a fan of Jubilee since the Larry Hama/Marc Silvestri run of Wolverine featured the character. She's just a lot of fun, she's got a cool power, and y'know ... it's an X-book, the opportunity to play around in that universe is something I couldn't pass up."


Although it is an X book, the series isn't set in New York like most of the Marvel X related titles. The series deals with family. "Jubilee has been reunited with her long lost aunt she didn't even no she had," informed Kirkman. "She's moving out to LA to live with her and leaving the craziness of the X-mansion behind. So the series is going to focus on her acclimating to this new environment and getting used to being the only mutant around for the first time since she joined up with the X-Men."


"It's Jubilee in LA, it's a totally new environment for the Marvel U," continued Kirkman. "Aside from Runaways and those old Wonder Man books Marvel has been almost exclusively New York based stories. So there's not a lot of overlap. After the initial story arc ... I'd like to start playing with the continuity more and more as the book goes on."


Kirkman said it wasn't tough at all to get to know this character and become a part of her world. "I was very familiar with the character from the get go," he revealed. "The teenage girl stuff is a bit tricky ... since I never was one of those. I've been doing my research, inviting myself to slumber parties ... joining some cheerleading squads ... stalking at the local mall. I think I've gotten the
hang of it."


Then he laughed and told us the best part about writing this series, "The research ... definitely the research."

~~~~~~~~~~~

Looks like Marvel are still working towards their goal of bringing more girls into Comic Stores (never a bad thing :p)

”I watch as the portal opens before me. None of the four who step through have ever been here before. In fact, they have only ever heard of this place in the most vague of terms. They refer to it as the moon. I call it home. For countless eons I have dwelled here, observing this solar system and the many changes it has seen. Today, I shall attempt to enlist the aid of others so I may continue this task. With awe, my champions step through the glistening passageway and into the large observation chamber that I use to watch all of reality. Tessa Niles, the telepathic genius known as Sage...Paige Guthrie, the young metamorph known as Husk...Peter Parker, the brooding superhero known as Spider-man...and Matua, the peaceful mage seemingly built for war. These four are the first to be gathered. But I must act with caution. I must not directly compel these mortals to act on my behalf. For to directly interfere in the lives of these beings would violate the oath I have endeavored all my life to uphold. For this I shall turn to the Sorcerers. It is only through them that I shall be able to see it all.”

As Sage, Husk, Spider-man and the newcomer Matua stepped through the portal that carried them to the Earth’s moon, they noticed a large figure perched atop a throne like seat in the middle of the room. He did not even shift his gaze to look at them. Instead, he stared directly ahead with the most intent of glares that any of them had ever seen. And even though he did not look at them, they were sure that he was aware of their presence. But before any of the quartet could inquire about their surroundings, another portal opened. Through it stepped the large green form of Dr. Henry McCoy and the definitively smaller framed Dr. Victoria Essex. Oddly, five of the six visitors already knew each other, but only two had had the pleasure of meeting the Watcher’s last guest. With flowing robes of crimson Dr. Stephen Strange stepped from the portal seconds before it sealed itself closed behind him. Within his mind, Uatu spoke to him alone, ”Welcome Sorcerer, I am pleased with your efforts thus far. For I know these beings possess the skills to aid you in your undertaking.”

Realizing the Watcher was prone to speaking in vague generalities and ambiguous undertones, Dr. Strange neither acknowledged Uatu nor pressed the issue. Instead, he turned to the gathered men and women and addressed them of his own accord, “Let me welcome you to the Blue Area of the moon. I do not believe that any of you have been here before, so I believe an introduction is in order. Our silent host is known as the Watcher. He has seen fit to allow me the use of his inner sanctum for this important meeting. As for myself, I am called Dr. Stephen Strange. I am the Sorcerer Supreme of Earth and it is I that summoned you here. For your help is needed in order to preserve order throughout all of existence.”

There's a very cool SF series going on right now. I highly recomend it.
Here's a website for you to get lots of info on the series,

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/</a><!-- m -->

but for those of you to lazy to look at it here's a bunch of spoilers and previews to catch you guys up on the issues that are out so far.

STREET FIGHTER #1

Written by Ken Siu-Chong.
Art by Alvin Lee, Arnold Tsang, and Andrew Hou.
Covers by Joe Madureira, Arnold Tsang and Jo Chen.

"Round One! Fight!" In part 1 of the first 6-issue introductory story arc, Ryu makes a solemn journey from Japan to San Francisco to deliver grave news to his old friend and sparring partner, Ken - that their master has been murdered by an unknown enemy. Meanwhile, Guile, fueled by his need for vengeance as much as his sense of duty, delves into Interpol's investigation of Shadaloo, the criminal organization responsible for the mysterious disappearance of his comrade and closest friend, Charlie. Plus: Fan-favorite artist Joe Madureira returns to the drawing board, contributes a classic bonus prequel story detailing Ryu's first fateful encounter with Sagat...
32 pages, $2.95

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stor...etfighter1a.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stor...etfighter1a.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stor...etfighter1b.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stor...etfighter1b.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stor...ighter1wrap.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stor...ighter1wrap.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Street Fighter #1- The Preview

Page 1
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.newsarama.com/Image/sf01p01fin1.jpg">http://www.newsarama.com/Image/sf01p01fin1.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Page 2
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.newsarama.com/Image/sf01p02fin1.jpg">http://www.newsarama.com/Image/sf01p02fin1.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Page 3
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.newsarama.com/Image/sf01p03fin1.jpg">http://www.newsarama.com/Image/sf01p03fin1.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Page 4
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0308/28/sf4.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0308/28/sf4.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Page 18
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.newsarama.com/Image/sf01p18fin1.jpg">http://www.newsarama.com/Image/sf01p18fin1.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Remake of the Classic Ryu vs. Sagat fight- Preview
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.newsarama.com/Image/sf01p21fin1.jpg">http://www.newsarama.com/Image/sf01p21fin1.jpg</a><!-- m -->

STREET FIGHTER #2

Searching for answers in the mystery of his Master's murder, Ryu begins to find them in a vision from his past, leading him to return with Ken to their old training grounds in Japan, where Ryu is tormented by painful dreams and memories of Master Gouken's death that trigger a darkness and rage he never knew he possessed. Meanwhile, Chun-Li and Guile, realizing that they have a common enemy in Shadaloo, form an alliance to uncover what connection Ryu could possibly have with M. Bison. Plus: An action-packed backup story by Adam Warren pitting Street Fighter's two leading ladies against each other. Chun-Li vs. Cammy.

Written byKen Siu-Chong.
Interior Art by Alvin Lee, Arnold Tsang, and Andrew Hou.
Covers by Tsang, Adam Warren, J. Scott Campbell and Jo Chen.
32 pages, $2.95
Cover #1!
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stor...eetfighter2.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stor...eetfighter2.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Cover #2(Variant)
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stor...etfighter2b.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stor...etfighter2b.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Street Fighter #2- The Preview

Page 1
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0310/09/sf1.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0310/09/sf1.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Page 2
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0310/09/sf2.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0310/09/sf2.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Page 3
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0310/09/sf3.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0310/09/sf3.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Page 4
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0310/09/sf4.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0310/09/sf4.jpg</a><!-- m -->

STREET FIGHTER #3

Ryu is confronted and taunted by Master Gouken's murderer in the dark forest surrounding the dojo. Meanwhile, Ken and his wife, Eliza, is unknowingly placed directly in harm's way when Vega, one of Bison's most sadistic right-hand-men, decides to use them to get to Ryu. Chun-Li and Guile, also on Ryu's trail to discover what Bison's interest in him could possibly be, arrive in Japan. But their investigation is abruptly interrupted when a ghost from Guile's past re-emerges. Plus: Legendary X-Men artist and Japanese Maga Superstar Kia Asamiya contributes an explosive backup story taken from Ryu and Ken's old training days...

Written by Ken Siu-Chong.
Interior Art by Alvin Lee, Arnold Tsang, and Andrew Hou.
Covers by Alvin Lee and Ramil Sunga, Kia Asamiya and Jo Chen.
32 pages, $2.95

Cover
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stor...eetfighter3.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stor...eetfighter3.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Here's a preview of issue #3

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0311/13/sfcb.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0311/13/sfcb.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0311/13/sfca.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0311/13/sfca.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0311/13/sf1.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0311/13/sf1.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0311/13/sf2.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0311/13/sf2.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0311/13/sf3.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0311/13/sf3.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0311/13/sf4.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0311/13/sf4.jpg</a><!-- m -->

STREET FIGHTER #4

"Brothers."
Chun Li and Guile discovered that Charlie, the man they had both presumed dead, is miraculously alive. But that is not all they discovered. Charlie, after being in the clutches of M. Bison for weeks, has reemerged a different man… a man willing to do anything to achieve Bison's goals. What will happen when Guile is forced to fight the man who is not only the one who taught him everything he knows, but also the friend who Guile looked up to as a brother? Meanwhile, Ryu & Ken get one step closer to their master's murderer, but Ken is faced with a difficult decision when Eliza's life is put into jeopardy. And what will happen when Ryu and Sagat meet again?..
PLUS: A pulse pounding backup story by artist extraordinaire, Kaare Andrews, showing the origin of Guile and Charlie!..

Written by Ken Siu-Chong.
Interior Art by Alvin Lee, Arnold Tsang, Andrew Hou, Kaare Andrews.
Cover by (A)Alvin Lee & Arnold Tsang
32 pages, $2.95

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF04/SF04-Cover1.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... Cover1.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Preview

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF04/SF04-01.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F04-01.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF04/SF04-02.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F04-02.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF04/SF04-03.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F04-03.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF04/SF04-04.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F04-04.jpg</a><!-- m -->

STREET FIGHTER #5

Guile and Chun-Li must not only face and fight the man they once knew as Charlie, but also the man responsible for their pain and suffering... M. Bison! Meanwhile, Akuma, the man--or perhaps monster--responsible for the death of Ryu and Ken's master, finally comes face to face with them... Plus: Bison's favorite Doll Agent, Cammy, is put to the test against Vega in an all-out action-fest by Korean sensation Hyung-Tae Kim.

Written by Ken Siu-Chong.
Interior Art by Alvin Lee, Arnold Tsang, Andrew Hou, Hyung-Tae Kim.
Covers by (A)Alvin Lee & Arnold Tsang, (B)Hyung-Tae Kim, ©Shinkiro.
32 pages, $2.95.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stor...eetfighter5.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stor...eetfighter5.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Preview

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://image.milehighcomics.com/firstlook/021104/street5p1.gif">http://image.milehighcomics.com/firstlo ... eet5p1.gif</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://image.milehighcomics.com/firstlook/021104/street5p2.gif">http://image.milehighcomics.com/firstlo ... eet5p2.gif</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://image.milehighcomics.com/firstlook/021104/street5p4.gif">http://image.milehighcomics.com/firstlo ... eet5p4.gif</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF05/SF05-01.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F05-01.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF05/SF05-02.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F05-02.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF05/SF05-03.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F05-03.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF05/SF05-04.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F05-04.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://img12.photobucket.com/albums/v36/TheDesolate/CharVsBison1.jpg">http://img12.photobucket.com/albums/v36 ... Bison1.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://img12.photobucket.com/albums/v36/TheDesolate/CharVsBison2.jpg">http://img12.photobucket.com/albums/v36 ... Bison2.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://img12.photobucket.com/albums/v36/TheDesolate/CharVsBison3.jpg">http://img12.photobucket.com/albums/v36 ... Bison3.jpg</a><!-- m -->

STREET FIGHTER #6

Ryu finally faces Gouken's murderer, Akuma, in battle and soon discovers a side of himself that his Master always feared would one day awaken. Meanwhile, Chun-Li and Guile, still recuperating from their fight with Bison, must decide how to respond to the shocking facts the battle left them pondering, while Ken receives a life-altering revelation of his own that forces him to reevaluate his life. The warm up is over and the real battle is about to begin!. Plus:The final fate of Cammy!...

Written by: Ken Siu-Chong.
Interior Art by: Alvin Lee, Arnold Tsang, Andrew Hou, Rob Ross.
Covers by: (A)Alvin Lee & Arnold Tsang, (B)Dustini Nyugen, (C-Power Foil)Arnold Tsang.
32 pages, $2.95.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://images.comicbookresources.co...SF06_ad_art.jpg">http://images.comicbookresources.co...SF06_ad_art.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Preview

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF06/SF06-01.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F06-01.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF06/SF06-02.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F06-02.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF06/SF06-03.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F06-03.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF06/SF06-04.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F06-04.jpg</a><!-- m -->

STREET FIGHTER #7

UDON celebrates Street Fighter's 15th Anniversary in style with the launch of the new comic series, exploding onto shelves with the 48-page #7. The battle truly begins this month as Ryu sets out on his epic global journey. Meanwhile, Cammy, reborn without any past or memories, adjusts to life as a member of the elite British Delta Red Anti-Terrorist Team while looking for answers about her past...

Plus: exclusive backup story and alternate cover by Salvador Larroca...

Written by: Ken Siu-Chong.
Interior Art by: Udon
Covers by: (A) Arnold Tsang, (B)Salvado Larroca, (C-Power Foil) Jo Chen.
48 pages, $4.50.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0401/21/sf7a.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0401/21/sf7a.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0401/21/sf7b.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0401/21/sf7b.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0401/21/sf7c.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0401/21/sf7c.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Preview

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF07/SF07-01.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F07-01.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF07/SF07-02.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F07-02.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF07/SF07-03.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F07-03.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF07/SF07-04.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F07-04.jpg</a><!-- m -->

STREET FIGHTER #8

Chun-Li, investigates the underworld ties that have plagued a number of high-profile Hong Kong film studios. Meanwhile, Cammy uncovers the first clues of her past when Delta Red captures one of Shadaloo's Doll Agents. And what does fate have in store for RYU in Thailand--the first destination on his global journey and the home of Sagat himself?...

Plus: A backup story starring everyone's favorite Japanese fighting schoolgirls, Sakura and Karin.

Written by: Ken Siu-Chong.
Interior Art by: Udon
Covers by: (A) Mark Brooks, (B)Ale Garza, (C-Power Foil) Jo Chen.
32 pages, $2.95.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0402/19/sf8a.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0402/19/sf8a.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0402/19/sf8b.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0402/19/sf8b.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0402/19/sf8c.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0402/19/sf8c.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Preview

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF08/SF08-01.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F08-01.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF08/SF08-02.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F08-02.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF08/SF08-03.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F08-03.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issues/SF08/SF08-04.jpg">http://www.streetfightercomics.com/Issu ... F08-04.jpg</a><!-- m -->

STREET FIGHTER #9

Ryu goes to India in search of the mysterious Dhalsim. Could the Yoga Master and his powers of mental discipline and meditation hold the secret to unlocking Ryu's potential? Meanwhile, Eliza convinces Ken to take a short vacation with her in Las Vegas, but relaxation is something there isn't time for when he gets mixed up with the head of Shadaloo's American organized crime ring (and ex-heavyweight champion), Balrog. But Shadaloo's reach continues to reach around the globe as Chun-Li makes a horrifying discovery in Hong Kong about what the evil crime syndicate has been up to....

Plus: Backup Story by LeSean Thomas.

Written by: TBA
Interior Art by: Udon
Covers by: (A) Yasuhiro Nightow, (B) LeSean Thomas, (C-Power Foil) Jo Chen.
32 pages, $2.95. Due In June

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0403/25/sf9a.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0403/25/sf9a.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0403/25/sf9b.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0403/25/sf9b.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0403/25/sf9c.jpg">http://www.comicscontinuum.com/stories/0403/25/sf9c.jpg</a><!-- m -->

STREET FIGHTER #10

Cammy and Delta Red's pursuit of the mysterious secret weapon being developed by Shadaloo brings them to South America. But as they trek through the jungles of Brazil and appear closer to uncovering more details concerning Shadaloo's plans (and Cammy's past), they get more than they bargained for when they cross paths with the strange green-skinned creature known as Blanka! Meanwhile, Ken and Eliza encounter an old masked acquaintance who isn't very pleased to them again...

Plus: Hong Kong super-artist Andy (Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon) Seto brings his beautiful and unique style to a backup origin story featuring Chun-Li and Gen.

Written by: Ken Siu-Chong
Interior Art by: Udon
Covers by: (A) Yasuhiro Nightow, (B) LeSean Thomas, (C-Power Foil) Jo Chen.
32 pages, $2.95. Due In August

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://afigures.com/b/sf_10_a.jpg">http://afigures.com/b/sf_10_a.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://afigures.com/b/sf_10_b.jpg">http://afigures.com/b/sf_10_b.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://afigures.com/b/sf_10_c.jpg">http://afigures.com/b/sf_10_c.jpg</a><!-- m -->

And for an added bonus, Ryu versus his evil self.

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://img12.photobucket.com/albums/v36/TheDesolate/SF01.jpg">http://img12.photobucket.com/albums/v36 ... e/SF01.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://img12.photobucket.com/albums/v36/TheDesolate/SF02.jpg">http://img12.photobucket.com/albums/v36 ... e/SF02.jpg</a><!-- m -->

<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://img12.photobucket.com/albums/v36/TheDesolate/SF03.jpg">http://img12.photobucket.com/albums/v36 ... e/SF03.jpg</a><!-- m -->

COPYRIGHT:
Street Fighter is ™ and © CAPCOM CO., LTD. 2003. All Rights Reserved.....
------------------

*whew*

So...what do you think?

Well, Variety reports that director Chris Columbus ("Harry Potter," "Mrs. Doubtfire") has been signed to helm a big screen adaptation of the tale of Atlantis' Avenging Son.

I think this may mean we are looking at an action movie with a certain level of humor in it then. Never a bad thing. As long as it doesn't turn into some sort of Man from Atlantis debacle I'll be happy.

Ok, Thor, Surfer, Nova and I all went and seen The Day After Tomorrow yesterday.
All I can say is WOW!! That movie just rocked. The special effects are amazing...and honestly, it was a little scary. Because if you think about it...
Mankind can control pretty much just about anything...but the weather.

Oh, and Glasgow got hammered! and I don't mean in a good drunk way!

Posted 11/06/2004
Source Newsarama

Announced last month, it took a few by surprise that John Layman would be writing a new Gambit series for Marvel for a few reasons – 1) this was his first big “break” at Marvel; 2) it wasn’t too long ago that Marvel ended it’s ongoing Gambit series; and 3) well, we couldn’t think of a third reason, but two reasons barely make a list no matter how you cut it.

The new series will kick off in September, with Georges Jeanty on pencils. Trading upstate New York and the X-Mansion for the Big Easy, Layman and Jeanty’s series will put the X-Men’s roguish mutant back into his own native milieu, and return him to the world of the Thieves Guild and a whiff of mystery and the supernatural. We caught up with Layman for more.

Newsarama: So how did you land the series? Did you pitch for it, get assigned to it, draw the short straw, what?
John Layman: I’ll take a “short straw” at Marvel any day, particularly one in the X-Universe. That’s like trying to pick the ugliest Maxim cover girl, you know? Or the funniest-looking person at the Millar family reunion! Pretty much as soon as I went freelance, just over two years ago, I’ve been trying to get to Marvel. I’ve been throwing out ideas and pitches, and Marvel asked me for a few specific pitches. I got my foot in the door with an X-Men Unlimited story, a Daredevil video game insert, and two upcoming issues of another book that I don’t think CB Cebulski wants me to mention just yet. Marvel asked me to pitch Gambit, and I think there was about two nanoseconds deliberation before I jumped at the opportunity, as all sorts of character and story possibilities sprang to mind.

NRAMA: As a character, Gambit’s got this weird love/hate thing with both fans and creators, with not much of a middle line. How do you tackle a character like that?
JL: Well, the fans who like Gambit really like him, and before I got this gig, since I started researching the character, I quickly discovered he’s got this utterly devoted fan base. And I can understand his appeal, because Gambit’s definitely got this likable, roguish - no pun intended - Han Solo/Matt Brady quality, a rascal who is slightly sleazy, comfortable on the wrong side of the law, a quick thinker, a smooth talker, a good liar, and a charmer with a continual wandering eye for the ladies. For this series, I tried to really accentuate those aspects of him. No cosmic B.S., no continual squabbles with various guilds, no persecuted mutant angst, no moping and pining over untouchable lost love. And yeah, there’s more than a few who seem to enjoy taking an active dislike of him. I’m reasonably certain Gambit fans are not going to be let down by this series, but I think there’s also a real possibility that people who didn’t like Gambit before might pick up the book and find this Gambit a little more to their liking.

NRAMA: With that in mind then, give me the soundbite for Gambit as a character in your eyes. What would you tell the man on the street what he’s all about?
JL: Well, when I was thinking about all those characteristics I thought appealing about Gambit, it was hard to disconnect him from New Orleans, the place where he hails from, since you can describe them both in the same way: sleazy, sensual, decadent, likeably corrupt, with equal potential for fun and trouble. New Orleans is one of my favorite cities in country, and has more of a unique personality than anywhere else - with the exception perhaps of Vegas, San Francisco and New York. I thought Gambit would best succeed in New Orleans, with the city playing as much a character as the rest of the cast. And Remy LeBeau, while he has a life with outside with the X-Men, ultimately always comes home. He’s like the John Constantine of New Orleans, but rather than the supernatural, he’s got his finger on the pulse of everything that’s sleazy and sordid and operating illicitly beneath the city’s surface.

NRAMA: So then, what kind of stories work best with Gambit – putting him in the criminal with a heart of gold role, or setting him up as the hero, albeit a reluctant one?
JL: Well, I’ve already mentioned what kind of stories don’t work. Or, at least, stories I have no interest in pursuing. Gambit’s a thief, and supposed to be a damn good one, not to mention a con man. So, at least when he’s at home, in his own element, he’s doing what he does best: hustles, big cons and elaborate larceny; Italian Jobs, Thomas Crown Affairs, things like that.

NRAMA: With what you’ve said so far, where and when do things pick up in the series? He’s going to be independent, and away from the rest of the X-Universe, right?
JL: Well, it seems to me that the X-Universe is not lacking for team books, and anybody who wants to see Gambit interacting with fellow X-Men, in a more superheroic context, is certainly going to have a venue for it. But this series showcases Gambit’s alter ego. Gambit outside of the tights. Or, at least, often outside of the tights. Is he the superhero that moonlights as a thief—or vise-versa?

NRAMA: So he’ll be working on his own? Any supporting cast?
JL: You can’t do the sort of stuff Gambit will be doing without assistance. But I’ve taken a different approach to the Thieves’ Guild. If there still is in-fighting and politics among the guild, it’s largely ignored by the more experienced members, who are more interested in the actual thievery than the guild hierarchy. Instead, the guild is more of a network within which each member has his or her area of expertise. At least in the first arc, Gambit is assisted by a mother/daughter team of mystic blackmailers, and an old card sharp who claims he gets messages from his poker hands.

NRAMA: And you’re going to keep the accent as part of his flavor, mon chere?
JL: Yes, but the “deses” and “dat’s” might not be quite so prevalent as in the past. Plus que ca, ca m'ennerve que des characters qui sait plus q'un langue, dans le comiques, sait seulement quatre ou cinc mots de leur langue d'origine. I’d like to change that.

NRAMA: Wouldn’t we all…wouldn’t we all. So - tease the first storyline…what gives and what gets the ball rolling?
JL: Well, Gambit gets hired to steal something he shouldn’t, and if the person doing the hiring wasn’t so freakin’ good looking, he might have thought twice about what he was getting into. And it turns out Gambit’s not the only person who’s hired to steal it, or who wants it, so once he gets a hold of it all sorts of hell break lose.

NRAMA: How’s the series structured? Will there be an overarching quest, or just a series of missions/adventures?
JL: Well, the first six issues is a caper. Or more precisely, the caper and what-goes-wrong-after-caper. After that, I got a couple of shorter stories planned. My co-conspirator, Georges Jeanty, had a brilliant idea about a character who needs dusting off, and who would fit right in in the Big Easy. So that will come on the heels of the first arc. Georges, by the way, is a cat I first worked with when I was an editor on the Engineer story for the Wildstorm Summer Special. He’s a fantastic artist, and everything I’ve seen so far from him on Gambit is just stellar, maybe the best work of his career. Plus, editor Mike Marts told me we got Greg Land on covers for the book. How cool is that?

NRAMA: Quite. Any guest stars coming up?
JL: Yes. As long as I get to write an X-related book, you damn well better believe I’m gonna take advantage of that. Look for the first—and perhaps most obvious—X-guest to show up in issue #5. Or maybe the second most obvious, anyway. Snikt! The first most obvious guest-star will undoubtedly turn up at some point, probably not too happy about what Remy’s been doing behind her back.

NRAMA: Gambit aside for a moment, what else are you up to?
JL: Well, Thundercats: Enemy’s Pride on sale now, currently setting the comic sales charts on fire, and wowing even the most discriminating critics. Look for an Einser sweep next year. IDW’s Art of Sam Kieth WILL see the light of day, someday, I’m assured. And I’ve also got two three-issue Species mini-series, Naked Aggression and Hive of Honeys, finished and coming down the pike from Avatar, at a glaccccciiiiial pace. I think William Christensen wants to publish them after I die of old age so he doesn’t have to pay me royalties—the rat bastard!

NRAMA: Any plans on following up with more creator-owned projects, more in line with Puffed?
JL: As far as creator-owned stuff, I have three things actually written, but I’m too damn lazy to find an artist. A fully complete apocalyptic spy comedy graphic novel, a sci-fi western ongoing and very dark prison thriller mini. Anybody who’s fast, good and dumb enough to work for heaps of abuse and pennies on the back-end is encouraged to send me links to their stuff, or private message me on the Millarworld boards.

More Images:
<!-- m --><a class="postlink" href="http://www.newsarama.com/Marvel/WWPhily04/Gambit.jpg">http://www.newsarama.com/Marvel/WWPhily04/Gambit.jpg</a><!-- m -->

Posted 11/06/2004
Source Newsarama

In 1988 Alan Moore wrote an epic poem about the history of gay culture entitled The Mirror of Love. Now, 16 years later, Top Shelf has just released a version of the poem lavishly illustrated with photos by Jose Villarubia. It’s a moving, epic, literate, intellectual response to an argument currently going on in the United States – not a defense by any means, but an acceptance and a celebration of same sex love through the ages. Newsarama spoke with both Moore and Villarubia about the poem’s history, and how its latest incarnation came to be.

Moore first put pen to paper for The Mirror of Love in the late ‘80s, at a time when the supernova-level success the British writer had found in American comic books allowed him the freedom to do whatever he wanted – literally – when it came to comics. “It was around 1988, and I had just finished most of my DC commitments, including Watchmen, and V for Vendetta and most of my superhero work,” Moore said. “I was living then with my former wife Phyllis and our girlfriend, Debbie Delano in sort of a…experimental relationship, I suppose you’d call it. It was something we were very serious about, and it endured for two to three years, which was a mark of that seriousness. “It was also round about that time that the government over here firsts proposed Clause 28, which was a bill designed to outlaw what was described as ‘the promotion of homosexuality.’ This was based, I suppose, on the theory that homosexuality is a choice by the individual, and is something that can be learned at school.”

Under Clause 28, any favorable or general references to homosexuality were to be removed from what could be discussed in society. As Moore saw it, Clause 28 nearly amounted to the word itself being removed from the dictionary.

“That was the first kind of legislation over here in a long time that was aimed at one specific minority, which had more than a whiff of the Third Reich about it,” Moore said. “It was very, very nasty – the implications of it were very serious.” While the Clause could have affected his own personal relationship at the time, Moore saw the effects of government-sponsored correct-think as even more chilling for teenagers. “The number of teenage suicides in the Western world is already alarming, and while they’re attributable to a number of causes, certainly, problems with sexuality are numbered amongst those causes. If you imagine being a 15-year old boy or girl who’s just starting to get a grip on their own sexuality, which might happen to be gay…and then they are treated as unpersons in the culture that surrounds them, I don’t think that’s going to help. “It was also a legislation that came out at a time when some conservative councilors and various leading figures of society, such as the police chief of Greater Manchester, James Anderson, had spoken of AIDS, which was becoming a very major public problem around that time, in terms of a ‘gay plague,’ despite the fact that the vast majority of cases came form heterosexual contact as was known at the time. It was decided more or less that only gay people can catch AIDS as a result of their immoral practices. Chief Anderson actually went so far as to describe people having AIDS as ‘swimming in a cesspool of their own making.’”

Homosexuality wasn’t nearly as integrated into society as it is now, and in both the United States and the U.K., conservatism was the call of the day. “Margaret Thatcher did not condemn any of the people who spoke out against gays – she stood by them and praised their forthrightness,” Moore recalled. “So it was looking potentially, very, very ugly, and Clause 28 looked like it might just be the tip of the iceberg. We decided that, given that I had fulfilled all of my commitments to mainstream comics, that this might be a good time to try putting together a benefit book that would raise people’s consciousness about the issue, and which would also raise money for the Organization for Lesbian and Gay Action, which was the main umbrella group for gay politics over here at the time. So we asked all of my friends in comics, or in some instances people that I never had contact with, but were very generous in offering work, and we put together a fair stellar roster of talent very quickly.”

Moore’s own contribution to the book, (titled AARGH! For Artists Against Rampant Government Homophobia) would be the centerpiece – an overview of gay history, which, he envisioned, would give the current political situation context, something which would cast Clause 28 as the result of various factors that had been pushing since time immemorial. "Having that idea of trying to come up with a history of gay culture – I had eight pages to do it in,” Moore said. “I did it with Steve Bissette and Rick Veitch, who did a beautiful job on the comic strip between them, given the constraints of what we were trying to do in just eight pages. It was five panels per page for a very poetic account of gay history in the caption boxes.”

Assigning himself the overview of gay culture and history was the easy part. Writing it…now that was tougher. Again, this was in 1988, the closet was full, and by and large, society was still trying to pretend that homosexuality would just go away of its own accord. “I had naively assumed that I’d be able to research this thing by going down to the local reference library and getting a good reference book on the history of gay culture,” Moore said of his early research plans. “I was soon disabused of this notion, because I realized that there wasn’t an overall history that existed at that time. I had to put the information together from books of gay poets, writers, and artists, in some cases, university dissertations on subjects like ‘Sodomy and Heresy in early Modern Switzerland.’ These were the fragments that I had to build the story up from.”

The choice to write The Mirror of Love as an epic poem wasn’t exactly made by Moore. Rather, it was dictated to him by circumstance. “I was doing it as a comic strip for inclusion in a comic anthology. That kind of dictated that I had a certain number of words, maximum, per page – 210 if anyone’s absolutely that interested. That meant that I had to get these very detailed parcels of information into very small parcels of words. Each panel [five per page] would only have 42 words for its caption. Very often, I had to say something quite detailed about some part6icular component of gay history in only 42 words.” While it wasn’t his first time using poetry, Moore said he quickly realized that for what he was attempting, a poem was the best means to reach his goal. “Although it seems very flowery and flamboyant, poetry is a wonderful language for saying things in a very condensed form, which was something that I discovered when I was doing the rhyming couplets for Etrigan the Demon in Swamp Thing #25,” Moore said. “I suddenly realized that poetry is a very condensed language. You can say much more complex things using much fewer, if even more carefully chosen words.

“Also, once I started writing it, in a more poetic style, simply to fit the information in, I found that there was a grandeur to gay history that made that style perfectly appropriate. When you’re talking about people like Oscar Wilde and Michelangelo, you’re in a fairly celestial area of the arts, one that is completely appropriate for these grand, sweeping phrases. It seemed right for practical reasons, and then, once I actually started applying it, it seemed right for all sorts of other reasons as well. This is something big, and grand, and wonderful. The style of producing Mirror of Love kind of underlines that.”

So – AARGH! came out, in 1988, it raised a good deal of money for the Organization for Gay and Lesbian Action, and in time, Clause 28 was defanged due to public outcry. From there, it, as Moore described, “Skulked around at the edges of our legislation over there for another 15 years until it was recently taken off the books. So I guess it is a victory fro common sense and human decency, even if it did take a long while in coming.”

Given the tides of the comic book market, the poem remained as one of Moore’s lesser known works, even among some of his readers who could quote Watchmen dialogue verbatim. Ten years after it was published though, it found a reader who would prove to be quite important: Jose Villarrubia, an openly gay professor at the Maryland Institute College of Art, who also worked in comics, and was gaining a reputation as an innovative thinker in regards to color and composition. “I first read The Mirror of Love in the esoteric magazine Rapid Eye #3, accompanying a long interview with Alan regarding magick and mysticism,” the artist recalled. “When I first read it I was amazed. I found it extremely powerful: passionate, poetic, ironic and very moving in turns. Some of the sections broke my heart, but others healed it and even made me smile.” The poem moved Villarrubia in a slightly…different way. Nearly immediately after reading it, Villarrubia wanted to perform it as a one-man play. Villarrubia called his friend and director David Drake, read him the poem, and asked him to help him adapt it as a play and direct him in its delivery.

After some trial and error, Drake decided upon a setting of a sumptuous dreamscape, with Jose reciting the poem to his sleeping lover. Both would be nude. “I wanted to do a solo performance for ages,” Villarrubia recalled. “A wonderfully talented solo performer, David Mills, was visiting Baltimore and encouraged me to perform. I remembered the text, read it aloud and it sounded absolutely great: from almost mythical in the beginning to almost Agit-prop Theater by the end.” Villarrubia performed The Mirror of Love six years ago at the Baltimore Theater Project to rave reviews. “Some were a little shocked because of the nudity, but most were very, very moved,” Villarrubia said. “The paper gave us generally positive reviews: they were very complimentary of my performance and David’s direction, but did not know quite what to make of the content, since it was more akin to a performance art piece than a traditional theatrical one act play.”

The new actor also sent a video of the performance to Moore. “Jose had interpreted the poem wonderfully,” Moore said. “There was an actor what was sleeping nude in a double bed, and Jose just gave a brilliant performance of the piece, also naked, which caused Melinda [Gebbie, Moore’s partner] to comment when we watched it, ‘Nice ass.’” The adaptation by Villarrubia was the start of a long working relationship between him and Moore, with Villarrubia serving as colorist on the Moore-penned Promethea comic book series, as well as other special projects. But among his friends, it was well known that Villarrubia still had a special fondness for The Mirror of Love. It took a little pushing on their part to get him to think of interpreting the work yet again. “A friend named François Peneaud suggested bringing the poem back as a book,” Villarrubia said. “We were in Angouleme for the Comics festival and François asked me how come I had not illustrated Mirror in my own style. I told him that I had not thought of it, but, of course, I immediately had a pretty exact idea of how I would do it.

”François asked Chris [Staros, Top Shelf Publisher], who agreed enthusiastically, and Chris approached Alan, who did the same. Chris also got permission from Steve Bissette and Rick Veitch, who illustrated the first version.” “Jose suggested to me that it might be possible to take the original piece from ARRGH! and realize it in another format – that it could be done as a book of photo images, with the original cramped, eight pages expanded, so that you have one verse or section of the poem on a left hand page, and one of Jose’s wonderful photographs illustrating it upon the right hand page,” Moore said. “It sounded like a great idea to me, and so we, mostly Jose – I have to admit that my contribution after having written the thing was minimal, compared to the amount of work Jose has done. Having seen it, I can say that this is the format that it was probably always meant to be in. I’m immensely pleased with it.”

In addition to the poem itself, the Top Shelf edition of The Mirror of Love contains four appendices, covering who’s who in the poem, other poems quoted in The Mirror of Love, suggested readings, and a history of Clause 28. While still solidly acknowledging that the work is at heart, Moore’s, Villarrubia has been likewise struck by the irony of the timing of the volume’s release in the US from Top Shelf. While nothing quite as Orwellian as Clause 28 is in the offing, the US government is rattling its saber in regards to creating laws against homosexuals. To that end, Villarrubia finds The Mirror of Love speaking as strongly now as it did when it was originally released – perhaps even more so, given the current political climate.

“Clause 28 was just another bump in the long road towards the normalization of the treatment of gay people,” Villarrubia said. “Now we have the Defense of Marriage Act and the proposed Constitutional amendment. Hatemongers always find excuses to discriminate and punish those that are different from them: when The Mirror of Love was written, in the mist of the AIDS crisis, the excuses were mostly ‘public heath issues’ mixed with ‘divine punishment.’ Now the excuse is that recognizing gay relationships is a ‘threat’ to the ‘institution of marriage.’ Same crap, new stupid reasons. You cannot rationalize intolerance, that’s why you will hear astonishingly dumb arguments: ‘gay couples can’t have children,’ or ‘you need a man and a woman to raise a child’ - so much for sterile straight couples and single parents, I guess they would be outlawed as well. The poem shows how same sex relationships have been regarded through history as sinful, friendships, and diseased, and those three evaluations continue to be the notions that bigots have of gays.”

That said, Villarrubia set out to make The Mirror of Love a unique expression, opting for photos rather than illustration, letting each one connect to Moore’s words. “Alan structured the original piece very tightly: eight pages with five panels each. Each panel caption had a story arc of its own. So forty pages of text accompanied by forty pages of images was immediately the natural choice. ”A few of the images are based on Alan’s descriptions for the panels of the original illustration - the Spartan warriors come to mind. Others are documentary - The Stonewall Inn bar in New York City, Oscar Wilde’s tomb in Paris, and others are metaphoric, illustrating my interpretation the sentiment of the passage, and not repeating the same information twice.” Villarrubia only used two images he had previously collected, and gathered the rest from a wish list he constructed. “Aside from the two I had, the other 38 images were shot specifically for the book. First, I sketched all of the images, drawing several thumbnails sketches for each one of them. Then I gathered up props, sought locations, cast models, etc…. and proceeded to shoot them.”

For example, for the image that would accompany Moore’s words about St. Paul naming same-sex love as sin for the first time on page 19, Villarrubia had a very iconic image in mind – a cross on the top of a church with the sun shining above it. “That photo was shot in Northampton, and I had a sketch that looked very much like it,” Villarrubia said. “It’s amazing how when you have an image in mind, and walk around looking for it, most of the time it will appear at some unexpected point. This happened several times during the completion of this book.” Collecting all the images took Villarrubia about seven months in total, with some images presenting unexpected challenges. “The AIDS passages at the end took a lot of planning. I could not do a theatrical recreation of thing for the present, like I did for the Spartans or Shakespeare. It would have looked very fake and kitschy. So I put myself in situations were I could get dramatic photo-journalistic photographs of gay activists and police. I shot over a dozen 36-exposure rolls, and I got just one shot that was adequate, but I must think it is perfect for the text, and definitely one of my favorites.”

When asked to relate his views about the state of gay culture and politics in the United States upon the release of his poem in this new format, Moore said that he felt much progress has been made since he first wrote The Mirror of Love, but, as he put it, “there are still pockets of appalling bigotry. With America at the moment, it seems that gay consciousness has reached the point where gay couples are unable to understand why they shouldn’t have the same rights under law as everybody else, and are thus, getting married. Now, speaking as a practicing pagan, obviously, the idea of a Christian marriage service – I don’t really have any opinion on that, so I can’t comment on that, but I understand that George Bush has said that he wants to see a constitutional amendment to forbid gay marriage. I believe that his, (please God) likely successor John Kerry favors some sort of civil ceremony.

“I can see where that might go some way to placating the religious objections to it, but those religious objections are actually founded upon fairly spurious foundations anyway. As far as I can see, this all goes back to the book of Leviticus, where yes, it does say that homosexuals should be stoned to death or burned or something like that. Okay, it says that in Leviticus, but if you’re going to take notice of everything it says in Leviticus, then we would have a society today that would be like something out of Hieronymous Bosch. I don’t know if most of the religious right ever bothered to read the Bible, but if they did, they would surely be aware of this. So, it seems a bit perverse to single out homosexuality. It seems to me as if they have a personal aversion to it, which they are trying to justify by these rather spurious religious references.”

What we are witnessing, Moore feels, is just history moving forward, with the requisite sound and fury of those opposed to the change, those who would, as Moore sees it, attempt to put the genie back in the bottle.

“Once you have accepted that gay people have a right to exist, then it becomes progressively harder to justify the fact that they don’t have the same rights as everybody else, that the same laws should apply to them that apply to everybody else,” Moore said. “As with most things in culture, you’re going to get this surge of progress which will be met by people digging their heels in. It will be met by fundamentalist objections, which have their basis in trying to turn things back to how they were. I’d suggest that historically, that’s not going to happen. That doesn’t work.

“Our leaders do not control the tides of history – they are just surfing them. They are doing their best to keep on top of them. They do not make the tides – the tides of history come from a million different vectors: our advancing technology, our advancing worldview. These are the things that actually make a difference to the flow of history, and our leaders try to sit on top of it, and perhaps try to give the impression that they are controlling it, but history’s history. Time and tide – they don’t pay much attention to any human leader.

“There will be a lot of unnecessary hardship and anguish and pain and fighting and shouting, but at the end of the day, things will progress, and they will move on. Those voices, I think, will become more subdued, as they realize that these things have happened and it wasn’t the end of the world. It wasn’t Sodom and Gomorrah and people turning to pillars of salt. The final judgment didn’t descend upon us because two gay librarians from Massachusetts happened to get married and tried to live happily ever after.”

Backing up from the work a little, Villarrubia was able to give an objective view of it, revealing what drew him to it in the first place, and what he hopes will attract others. “It is an epic history of same sex love told through the love lives of great Western artists: Sappho, Michelangelo, Shakespeare, Whitman, Dickinson and many others. It takes a poetic form that combines a fairy tale beginning - of the ‘Once upon a time…’ kind, with an intimate love letter, and a political manifesto.

“To my gay friends, I would say: ‘Get it!’ Most of my gay, lesbian and bisexual friends have a marginal - at best - concept of who they are in the context of history and where they come from. This book is an eye opener, proof positive that gay people have not been an underground subculture, but have instead played an essential role in shaping Western culture.

”I would also tell them to get it because I did it and it has my best work to date….”

And while he feels that the screaming, finger-pointing anti-gay individuals may be a little beyond appreciating the book, Villarrubia feels that it would find an audience among individuals who are more moderate in their view of homosexuality.

“The book can be useful for people that are not fanatical, but have not given the topic a great deal of consideration, or are uncomfortable with the mixed messages that they get in the media, from politicians and churches – ‘hate the sin, not the sinner.’ I think especially for those people that love Alan’s writing, even though they may not agree with him completely politically, this book could send a message: let this (in practice) straight writer, whom many, including myself consider a genius, guide you into a territory that maybe unfamiliar, and even a little treacherous, but trust that you will learn something in the process, while he will thrill you with his ideas and prose. If you had the courage to follow him into From Hell, The Mirror of Love can grant you different, but equally precious, rewards.

“I hope it becomes a part of school libraries and youth resources. I hope it helps gay sons and daughters facilitate a dialog with their parents. I hope it becomes a very romantic present for lovers. Margaret Cho put it best in her quote:

"The only way to go to war with hate is to love. The Mirror of Love is the great weapon in our arsenal. Not only does it elegantly and profoundly tell our history, it gives us a perfect reflection of our immense beauty. Moore and Villarrubia weave a remarkable tapestry, in words and images that captures with precision the ecclesiastical and ecstatic capabilities of the human heart."

From Yahoo News
Thu Jun 10, 8:57 PM ET

Yukon Men Convinced They Saw Sasquatch

WHITEHORSE, Yukon - Conservation officer Dave Bakica is convinced that whatever two men saw early last Sunday morning, it shook them up. Marion Sheldon and Gus Jules were traveling out of town along the Alaska Highway on an all-terrain vehicle between 1 and 2 a.m. when they passed what resembled a person standing on the side of the highway.

Thinking it was a person from their small community who might be in need of a ride, they turned around. As the two lifelong Teslin residents and members of the Teslin Tlingit Council approached to within 20 feet, they noticed the figure was covered in hair, but standing upright the entire time. Though natural light was dusky, Jules saw what he believed to be flesh tones hidden beneath the mat of hair, he told Bakica.

Sasquatch? Big Foot?

"I have no doubt they saw something, and are convinced it was not a bear or anything in the ordinary," Bakica said. "They are convinced this was something out of the ordinary ... And they are pretty shook up over it."

Jules is an experienced hunter. Jules described the figure as standing about 7 feet tall, but hunched over. They could see it was not a person. As the two parties went their separate ways, the dark-haired figure crossed the highway in two or three steps. Bakica said ground conditions mixed with rainfall made it impossible to pick up definitive tracks and there was no hair on branches or other vegetation. Also, by the time he went to the scene Monday morning, half the town had been out to the site, he said. Jules has launched a search for evidence that could document his experience.

"I have no doubt in my mind that they believe what they saw was a Sasquatch," said Bakica. "Whether it was or not, I do not know. Just because you can't prove something was there, does not mean it was not there."

Sheldon and Jules could not be reached for comment by the Whitehorse Star.

Teslin is about 90 miles southeast of Whitehorse.

It would not be the first suspected Yukon sighting of the folklore beast. In April 1991, three Pelly Crossing residents reported seeing a Sasquatch while driving between Pelly and Stewart Crossing. The creature fled back into the woods as the vehicle passed. The residents took a photo of what they claim were footprints measuring 15 inches long in the melting snow.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

And that kids, is your laugh for the day.