nicky_d's New Writeupshttp://everything2.com/?node=New%20Writeups%20Atom%20Feed&foruser=nicky_d2003-08-29T00:40:26ZVisitor Q (thing)http://everything2.com/user/nicky_d/writeups/Visitor+Qnicky_dhttp://everything2.com/user/nicky_d2003-08-29T00:40:26Z2003-08-29T00:40:26Z<p><em>Visitor Q</em> (<em>Bizita Q</em> in its native <a href="/title/Japan">Japan</a>) is a <a href="/title/2001">2001</a> film by the increasingly <a href="/title/infamous">infamous</a> <a href="/title/Miike+Takashi">Miike Takashi</a>. The film was the sixth and final part of <a href="/title/CineRocket">CineRocket</a>'s <em><a href="/title/Love+Cinema">Love Cinema</a></em> series, a run of titles shot on <a href="/title/digital+video">digital video</a> and aimed at the video <a href="/title/market">market</a>. Written by regular Miike collaborator <a href="/title/Itaru+Era">Itaru Era</a>, it is at heart a rather touching examination of the <a href="/title/family">family</a>; but to extend the anatomical analogy, exposing the heart is a somewhat <a href="/title/grisly">grisly</a> experience that is arguably not for the <a href="/title/faint+of+heart">faint of heart</a>.</p>
<p>The <a href="/title/transgression">transgression</a> begins with the very first frame, which displays a line of text: "<a href="/title/Have+you+ever+done+it+with+your+dad%253F">Have you ever done it with your dad?</a>". A television <a href="/title/reporter">reporter</a> is videotaping an interview with his <a href="/title/daughter">daughter</a>, who works as a <a href="/title/prostitute">prostitute</a>. In the course of the interview (which is partially presented through the producer's camera <a href="/title/footage">footage</a>), they have <a href="/title/sex">sex</a>, but the daughter <a href="/title/mock">mock</a>s her <a href="/title/father">father</a> for his small <a href="/title/penis">penis</a> and <a href="/title/premature+ejaculation">premature ejaculation</a>. <a href="/title/Humiliated">Humiliated</a> and <a href="/title/ashamed">ashamed</a>, he leaves,<!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…Tales of the Mysterious Traveler (thing)http://everything2.com/user/nicky_d/writeups/Tales+of+the+Mysterious+Travelernicky_dhttp://everything2.com/user/nicky_d2003-08-23T11:50:08Z2003-08-23T11:50:08Z<p><em>Tales of the Mysterious Traveler</em> is a <a href="/title/comic+book">comic book</a> published by <a href="/title/Charlton">Charlton</a> between <a href="/title/1957">1957</a> and <a href="/title/1959">1959</a>. It was based on a popular <a href="/title/radio+show">radio show</a> of the <a href="/title/1950s">1950s</a>, <em><a href="/title/The+Mysterious+Traveler">The Mysterious Traveler</a></em> - a <a href="/title/mystery">mystery</a> / <a href="/title/horror">horror</a> series that ran from <a href="/title/1942">1942</a> to <a href="/title/1952">1952</a>, narrated by the <a href="/title/titular">titular</a> "Traveler". The comic version would be all but <a href="/title/forgotten">forgotten</a> today, save for the fact that a regular <a href="/title/artist">artist</a> on the title was one <a href="/title/Steve+Ditko">Steve Ditko</a>.</p>
<p><em>Traveler</em> was an anthology title; each tale of the <a href="/title/supernatural">supernatural</a> (and occasionally simply <a href="/title/natural">natural</a>) is five pages long, and the only element of continuity is the figure of the Traveler, visualized as a tall, <a href="/title/brooding">brooding</a> figure in a long coat and brimmed hat inthe same vein as <a href="/title/The+Shadow">The Shadow</a> or <a href="/title/The+Phantom+Stranger">The Phantom Stranger</a>. The Traveler introduces each story, providing potted <a href="/title/sketch">sketch</a>es of the main <a href="/title/character">character</a>s - a necessary <a href="/title/device">device</a>, given the low <a href="/title/page+count">page count</a>. He observes and comments on events, and is occasionally <a href="/title/empower">empower</a>ed to <a href="/title/intervene">intervene</a> (by whom is never<!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…Superboy #134 (thing)http://everything2.com/user/nicky_d/writeups/Superboy+%2523134nicky_dhttp://everything2.com/user/nicky_d2003-08-21T23:10:22Z2003-08-21T23:10:22Z<p>This is <a href="/title/Superboy">Superboy</a> #134, published in December <a href="/title/1966">1966</a>. <a href="/title/Frayed">Frayed</a> at the edges and <a href="/title/devalued">devalued</a> by the "10d" stamp that <a href="/title/UK">UK</a> <a href="/title/newsagent">newsagent</a>s used to thump <a href="/title/American">American</a> imports with, this poor specimen didn't even make into the <a href="/title/back-issue+bin">back-issue bin</a>. Like many other wastrels, it found its way into my care and, soon after, <a href="/title/my+heart">my heart</a>.</p>
<p>And soon after <em>that</em>, my <a href="/title/attic">attic</a>, because the heart cares little for <a href="/title/shelf+space">shelf space</a> and the limitations thereof. But tonight, I'm breaking it out and noding it up, this 12¢ <a href="/title/disposable">disposable</a>, this colourful <a href="/title/orphan">orphan</a>; I'm turning it loose.</p>
<p><a href="/title/Imaginary+story">Imaginary story</a>! Are there any sweeter words in the <a href="/title/comics">comics</a> <a href="/title/lexicon">lexicon</a>? Clearly, if we're talking <a href="/title/DC+Comics">DC Comics</a> in the <a href="/title/60s">60s</a>, they're <em>all</em> imaginary stories. So when a particular issue feels the need to <a href="/title/stress">stress</a> its imaginary status, something <a href="/title/special">special</a> <em>must</em> be about to happen. Something so <a href="/title/wacky">wacky</a> that standard Superboy <a href="/title/continuity">continuity</a> <em>cannot contain it!</em> So it is with our main feature, <em>The Scoundrel of<!-- close unclosed tag --></em><!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…click here (thing)http://everything2.com/user/nicky_d/writeups/click+herenicky_dhttp://everything2.com/user/nicky_d2003-08-21T08:32:48Z2003-08-21T08:32:48Z<p>The phrase "click here" is often used as <a href="/title/hyperlink">hyperlink</a> text in <a href="/title/webpage">webpage</a>s, like so:</p>
For more information on Veeblefetzers, <u>click here</u>.
<p>This is <a href="/title/frowned+upon">frowned upon</a> as a <a href="/title/usability">usability</a> / <a href="/title/accessibility">accessibility</a> <a href="/title/faux+pas">faux pas</a> because it separates the link from its <a href="/title/context">context</a>. Links <a href="/title/stand+out">stand out</a> in webpages and users quickly learn to locate them visually. If Melvin comes to your site looking for some <a href="/title/Veeblefetzer">Veeblefetzer</a> info, you want to make sure he finds it without too much trouble. If he scans the page's <a href="/title/link">link</a>s first, "click here" isn't going to tell him anything; he'll need to hunt around the link to find out its <a href="/title/relevance">relevance</a>.</p>
<p>An <a href="/title/irritation">irritation</a>, you might agree, but hardly a great inconvenience. But now consider <a href="/title/blind">blind</a> visitors; they may rely on a number of <a href="/title/assistive">assistive</a> technologies to help them <a href="/title/browse">browse</a> the web. A common task is to build a list of all links on the page, so that they can be referred to quickly. This is starting to appear as a feature in browsers - <a href="/title/Safari">Safari</a> has it, for<!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…Master Race (thing)http://everything2.com/user/nicky_d/writeups/Master+Racenicky_dhttp://everything2.com/user/nicky_d2003-08-20T01:31:12Z2003-08-20T01:31:12Z<p>In 1955, artist <a href="/title/Bernie+Krigstein">Bernie Krigstein</a> was commissioned to draw a six-page <a href="/title/comic+strip">comic strip</a> written by <a href="/title/Al+Feldstein">Al Feldstein</a> for the first issue of <em><a href="/title/Impact">Impact</a></em>, one of <a href="/title/EC+Comics">EC Comics</a>' <a href="/title/New+Direction">New Direction</a> titles developed in response to the efforts of <a href="/title/Dr.+Fredric+Wertham">Dr. Fredric Wertham</a> and the <a href="/title/Comics+Code+Authority">Comics Code Authority</a>. The story in question was <em>Master Race</em>, and Krigstein was set to create a <a href="/title/milestone">milestone</a> in <a href="/title/sequential+art">sequential art</a>.</p>
<p>Krigstein, by training a <a href="/title/fine+arts">fine artist</a>, was frequently frustrated in his comic <a href="/title/illustration">illustration</a> work. He enjoyed experimenting with <a href="/title/panel">panel</a> layout and its effect on the <a href="/title/pace">pace</a> and <a href="/title/timing">timing</a> of the story, often placing himself in conflict with writers more concerned with their <a href="/title/words">words</a>. For <em>Master Race</em>, he drew the pages as required and then persuaded Feldstein and <a href="/title/publisher">publisher</a> <a href="/title/William+M.+Gaines">William M. Gaines</a> to allow him to <a href="/title/reassemble">reassemble</a> the panels and <a href="/title/caption">caption</a>s to enhance the <a href="/title/narrative">narrative</a>. Gaines' agreement gave Krigstein the opportunity to indulge his <a href="/title/experimental">experimental</a> tendencies, and he turned<!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…Ed the Happy Clown (thing)http://everything2.com/user/nicky_d/writeups/Ed+the+Happy+Clownnicky_dhttp://everything2.com/user/nicky_d2003-08-18T22:33:52Z2003-08-18T22:33:52Z<p>Oh, boy. Where to begin with <a href="/title/Chester+Brown">Chester Brown</a>'s <em>Ed the Happy Clown</em>? It's a very tricky question. Describing a book shouldn't be like this. You should be able to describe a book without appearing <a href="/title/deranged">deranged</a>. Nevertheless, I feel I owe this book an attempt. In lieu of a better idea, I'm going to follow the example of <a href="/title/Sister+Maria">Sister Maria</a> and start at the very beginning.</p>
<p><em><a href="/title/For+the+record">For the record</a>:</em> I'm working from the <a href="/title/1992">1992</a> <a href="/title/Vortex">Vortex</a> comics <a href="/title/trade+paperback">trade paperback</a>, <em>Ed the Happy Clown: The Definitive Ed Book</em>. This was an expanded edition of the original collection, which in turn reprinted strips from author <a href="/title/Chester+Brown">Chester Brown</a>'s comic <em><a href="/title/Yummy+Fur">Yummy Fur</a></em>. <em>The Definitive Ed</em> adds several pages of new material and reshuffles events to make the book more of a <a href="/title/whole">whole</a>. Ed's story would continue in <em>Yummy Fur</em> for several issues after the original collection's ending. <em>The Definitive Ed</em> incorporates some of the series' later events, but by no means all. So there are three<!-- close unclosed tag --></p>…