Paul Graham on Disconnecting Distraction

Paul Graham writes great essays. I recommend one of his newest, Disconnecting Distraction.

I remember when computers were, for me at least, exclusively for work. I might occasionally dial up a server to get mail or ftp files, but most of the time I was offline. All I could do was write and program. Now I feel as if someone snuck a television onto my desk. Terribly addictive things are just a click away. Run into an obstacle in what you're working on? Hmm, I wonder what's new online. Better check.

After years of carefully avoiding classic time sinks like TV, games, and Usenet, I still managed to fall prey to distraction, because I didn't realize that it evolves. Something that used to be safe, using the Internet, gradually became more and more dangerous. Some days I'd wake up, get a cup of tea and check the news, then check email, then check the news again, then answer a few emails, then suddenly notice it was almost lunchtime and I hadn't gotten any real work done. And this started to happen more and more often.

Now, get off the internet!

Get Off the Internet - Le Tigr...

lowlywaiter: Don't Bug Me

Coming This Summer: Son of lowlywaiter or lowlywaiter Rides Again.

Gene Colan

Gene Colan, genius penciller of the Silver Age, is in poor health right now. More info here.
(via Comics Journal)

Gene Colan! I only know the work and not the man, but in some ways I feel like I do know him via the humanity of those pages and pages of his art which I have pored over.

His women are among the least stereotyped, even when wearing an all black unitard like the Black Widow did. But they were often sexy as well. How did he do it?

And what about the shadows in Dr. Strange, Daredevil and Nathaniel Dusk for example? How were they all so atmospheric and yet different shadows?

Here is a man who can make a pencil sing.

So, I don't know Gene Colan. But man, do I know some things about Gene Colan.

My deepest heartfelt best wishes for the Genial One and his family.

PS: (quote from Comics Journal):
Tom Spurgeon alerts us to the fact that the family of Gene Colan are having immense difficulties paying his medical bills. Caring readers who would like to assist them have two ways to do so:

1. You can bid in one of the Colans’ eBay auctions, which would not only put money in their hands but also net you a nice piece of art, to boot.
2. Do as I did, and make a direct donation via Paypal, where the Colans are registered as genecolan@optonline.net — just log into your account, hit the “send money” button, and insert said email address and the amount you wish to donate into the appropriate boxes. Oh, and you might want to mention the word “donation” prominently in the comments box, so the Colans don’t have to sort through a bunch of listings to find the eBay payments.

3 Cartoony Paintings for Stir Auction

Here are 3 cartoony paintings I did for the Stir Productions benefit auction. It's Monday, May 12th, 2008 at 6:30pm, Vig 27 119 E 27th Street Between Park and Lex.

Truffles + Cream, Come Back And Laugh, Jokes Make Life Worth
all 12" x 12" polymers on canvas.

What Does Iron Man Mean To Me?

Yeah, the film was pretty neat. Lots of stuff for the fanboys, esp. the SHIELD references, the computer named Jarvis, Jon Favreau as Happy Hogan etc. These films need to be faster, more like Hong Kong action films or the last Bourne thing. Less exposition and logic would be preferable. But the total 1960's Marvel irreverence was finally expressed with Robert fucking Downey Jr. ad-libbing his way through it in a way that is as joyful as Adam West.

Yeah, purists may disagree with me on this, but my gold standard is still Batman 1966, for the pure pleasure of being a human comic book. I can see RDJ saying "Some days you just can't get rid of a bomb" and that is pretty cool.

Later: One reason that this film has a Marvel level of insouciance is that the script came after the art, in the old Marvel style. Favreau was smart to get this, so that after all the elaborate effects, the actors and dialogue are fresh and smartypants. (Well except for the B movie terrorist types.)