It can be a strange experience watching two fandoms collide. I first heard about IDW’s plans to adapt Richard Stark’s Parker novels through a crime fiction website. They didn’t mention the name of the artist involved, which left me thinking it was going to be a hack job. I was mildly upset that I wouldn’t get a crack at the source material myself, as the Parker books are among my favourite genre novels. The comic websites I turned to for more information were the opposite of the crime ones, with the artist’s name front and centre and a lot of space taken up explaining the work of Richard Stark to the uninitiated. My envy turned into resignation after finding out that Darwyn Cooke was the artist involved. I can think of few artists more suited to the material and I’m looking forward to seeing what he comes up with.

“Real living is living for others.” – Bruce Lee.

As you can tell from my previous post, I watched Way of the Dragon earlier in the week in honour of the 35th anniversary of Bruce Lee’s passing. No matter how dated the movie surrounding him, there’s something so powerful about Bruce Lee’s physical prowess that just watching him move seems removed from time. My brain just isn’t equipped to handle it.

My Macho Movie Review co-host Nagy first brought the story of the fate of Bruce Lee’s family home to my attention. Hong Kong philanthropist Yu Pang-lin was determined to sell the property to help victims of the the earthquake in Sichuan until a worldwide outcry from martial arts fans changed his mind. Now he’s seeking approval to develop the home into a museum honouring Lee.

I have read dozens of news articles, blogs and forums concerning this story, and I’ve found only one that even takes into consideration the ramifications of this decision. To be fair, for all I know Yu Pang-lin will find alternate ways to contribute to the relief effort, or use the museum as a way to provide continual aid to people in need. And it’s probable that a museum dedicated to a globally loved icon like Lee would help create jobs and give a boost to the local economy. The long-term possibilities could very well outstrip whatever benefits turning the property into a parking lot would have entailed.

It’s not Yu Pang-lin’s decision that bothers me. He’s free to do whatever he wants with the property, and you can count me as one of the many who would love to see a permanent monument to Bruce Lee. It’s the knee-jerk reaction from Bruce Lee’s fans that has me confounded, with commentators initially vilifying Yu Pang-lin when he was going to let the property go on the market, then lauding him for reversing his decision to the point that some people were calling him a hero.

I have no idea how charitable Bruce Lee was, or, since he died before achieving the height of his fame whether he really had the chance to be. But I just can’t help feeling that a more fitting tribute to Lee’s cinematatic legacy would be to help those most in need.

Realistic looking bb (hop up) guns are all the rage here in Japan.  It’s amazing seeing 10 year olds pointing guns at other children. Maybe it’s such a gun-free country and that’s why there’s so little paranoia regarding these wonderfully life-like toys.

I’m always a sucker for Jehovah’s Witnesses, Mormans and all those hep door-to-door religious cats.

What really sells me on whatever they’re gabbing about is the wicked pamplets they bring with them!

As long as I can remember, I’ve always loved the art in the Watchtower books. Imagine what Watchtower artists could do with comics. Alex Ross might be out of a job!

This whole spread really kicks ass. Just click on it to see a bigger version.  If I ever needed an ispiration to put millions of species on a boat, this pic might be it.

I saw as many cops over the weekend of the Heavy Mtl. festival as I usually spot in an entire year. As we were departing Metal Island via the metro we stumbled across a group of cops who were separating the metal heads from the general populace, herding the innocent bystanders into a cordoned area behind police tape and away from the Maiden fans.

I can’t tell you just how great it was finding this gem on the way to that crazy concert I went to the other night.

This is so incredible that it’s beyond words, really.

What’s going on in this part of the picture?? There is much mystery and amazement happening here.

In celebration of unemployment, my fellow former english school teacher went out for a night on the town, little did we suspect what awaited us! We started out, but quickly got bored attending a kinda gaijin DJ night. That boredom brought us around town to a huge line for a reggae night. Boy am I glad I went in!

It was like finding a secret land of awesomeness. I think the one guy on the video is a celebrity of some kind that has unfortunately gone into the music biz. He’s the dude with the shades, people told me afterwards that he was a big deal. If anyone can name him let me know!

Sorry for the crap video, but that’s the best my non-video camera can pull off. Here’s another video….and another. :)

In honour of the upcoming Bastille Day celebrations, Muñoz and Sampayo present a sheriff getting clocked in an alleyway, en Francais, from their collection of Alack Sinner stories l’âge des désenchantements.

Voulez-vous couchez avec Bahlactus, ce soir?