#the problem is DC is actually a super small town where the world's power happens to be brokered

[hughmadson]

Also, to answer this? It used to be 18th st lounge (ESL for short among the natives). No longer open, it had a cute 15 year run of deep (read: soulful) house on Sunday nights that I should have honestly done WAY more of in my decade there.

Obsessed with the DC tourist asking for clubs with a “no ugly people allowed” policy that plays house

Is this person NYC or LA? Place your bets

[what2finish]

Creator Post: Rudearrow

Rudearrow’s WTF Creator Post (Auction #1001, #1002)

Creator’s previous works: Here!

Link to GDrive Folder of WIP Summaries/HCs/Plot Bunnies Creator is Offering: Here! 

you can contact the creator before bidding at:

email: rudearrow@gmail.com

Likes:  fantasy au, sci-fi au, plotfic/casefic, found family, Redemption Arc With Hard Work, Demonstrating Contrition, and Learning to Love Yourself(tm), wingfic, lesser known pairings and characters, crossovers, whacky ideas taken seriously, whacky ideas taken whackily, bdsm

Do Not Wants: no non-con, torture, incest, or underage. no harder kinks, ie: scat, waterworks, gore, etc.

Preferred Charities of the creator: Any

Full Charities List

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Auction #1

Type of fanwork: fanfiction

Fandom: Marvel, DC, Stranger Things, Game of Thrones, Supernatural, Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Untamed, (honestly, just email me if you like my writing... if I know your canon, I'm probably down)

Pairing(s): I'm a multi-shipper who loves underdog/rarepairs, existing WIPs are for Winterhawk, Winteriron, Winterironhawk, Robb/Theon, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington/Dean Winchester. Platonic/grey-ace pairings welcome!

Character(s): there isn't a character from any of the canons listed that I won't write

Rating: General, Teen, Mature

Marvel WIPs:

Crimson & Clover: Urban Fantasy AU; 616 Clint & Bucky, endgame Winterhawk. Clint Barton has finally done the Right Thing(tm) and left his life of petty crime with Cirque du Nuit behind him. He’s got a GED, a bow, and coffee- and not much else. In the process of rebuilding his life, he runs into a not-so-tall, dark, and handsome stranger. Literally. He thinks a spilled latte and a bump on the head will be the end of his encounter, but with each successive run-in, he realizes that maybe luck just isn’t on his side and outrunning his past might not be in the cards after all. Current WC: 15k.

Half-splitting the Problem: Winteriron canon reversal! Feared dead after an attack on his convoy in Afghanistan nearly three months ago, the CEO of Barnes Industries has once again defied expectations. Having survived the attack and his subsequent captivity by the terrorist organization, The Ten Rings, James ‘Bucky’ Barnes has returned to American soil and turned his company upside down. Tony Stark, a young man from humble means with few options, has been working his internship with SI R&D for nearly a year now. He’s noticed activities that can only be described as ‘iffy’ at best, but with a boatload of student debt and a work history peppered with reprimands and missed deadlines he’s decided to keep his head down for the almighty dollar and hope for the best... Until he stumbles across Obadiah Stane’s personal project. Current WC: 1.5k

Seraphic (Hallowed Incorporeal Entities) Liaison Division, AKA: S.H.I.E.L.D.: Winterironhawk wingfic! Bucky Barnes has been assigned a new Seraph partner and he’s not happy about it. Tony Stark is that  Seraph and while he’s not thrilled either, it really is a lot of fun to push Barnes’s buttons. Clinton Francis Barton, unbeknownst to him, is their first assigned charge. And honestly? He could use all the help S.H.I.E.L.D. can spare. Current WC: 3k

Misadventures in Solitude: Clint Barton-centric, fwb Winterhawk, open to endgame romantic Winterhawk, alternative Clint pairing (except Nat. Sorry, for me they are always platonic soul mates), and/or poly. Just a day in the life of Clint Barton, coffee-riddled, exhausted corporate cog. He did all the “right” things- went to school, got a decent white-collar job, moved to the big city- so why is he so unhappy? And lost. Except, shit... he’s actually lost. Where the futz is he? Current WC: 1.5k

Part I:  The Space Between Us: 616 Winterhawk; Space! Kidnapped Clint! BDSM. This is technically part one to the fic I finished a few months ago on my linked Ao3, Show Me the Miles. Bucky has been chosen for the “away team”, as Stark likes to call it. While Bucky is bored almost to tears watching Stark and Rogers schmooze with extraterrestrial royalty, Clint is snatched while on a milk run mission back on Earth. Bucky, suffice it to say, doesn’t exactly take the news well. Current WC: 5.5k

Marvel HC:

Fairytale Winteriron AU: Bucky/Tony Bucky is a sprite with moth wings. Tony is a sprite with butterfly wings. Their peoples have centuries of animosity and sharp words for each other. Then ‘the fire(fly) nation attacked’ and [choose which one here] is injured, only to be saved by the other! Begrudging friendship and appreciation turn into more. Endgame is sprites in love. \o/ 

Completion WC Estimates:

Crimson & Clover, Estimated 40k+ upon completion. 

Half-splitting the Problem, Estimated 15-20k upon completion. 

Seraphic (Hallowed Incorporeal Entities) Liaison Division, AKA: S.H.I.E.L.D., Estimated 20k+ upon completion. 

Misadventures in Solitude, Estimated 10k+ upon completion.

Part I: The Space Between Us, Estimated 15-20k upon completion.

Fairytale Winteriron AU HC, Estimated 15-20k upon completion.

GOT WIP:

Manual for Spaceship Westeros: Robb/Theon; Space Colony Au! There is tension between the loose planetary alliance that calls itself Westeros. Robb Stark, as the only full-blood Stark son of age, is sent to negotiate a stronger alliance with Iron Born, a terrifying clan who has made a small water planet habitable through the genetic modification of its ancestors, sweat, and blood. Robb arrives to seek an audience with The Greyjoy and make his offer- the hand of his sister Sansa. But The Greyjoy deems this insufficient and Robb quickly finds himself on the offering plate. Current WC 2k.

Completion WC Estimate: 20-25k

Stranger Things & Supernatural: 

Billy Dean Was My Lover (working tongue in cheek title): main pairing Steve/Billy (possibly Steve/Billy/Dean?); Billy/Dean; crossover plot-ish fic! When his dad called and ordered Dean to pack up Sam then head for the Midwest, he didn’t ask questions. Apparently, strange things were happening in small town Indiana; which was usually a Winchester’s bread and butter. Yet even Dean and Sam aren’t quite prepared for the kind of strange Hawkins has, especially with John failing to meet them at the town’s motel. But there was something even more surprising than the super-powered teenage girl and a whole new world of monsters... 

Hearing the name of Dean’s tape-swap penpal out of some preppy, polo-wearing guy’s mouth. Current WC 1k.

WILDCARD, AKA: ANY HC/PROMPT FOR THE ABOVE PAIRINGS AND FANDOMS LISTED.

If you like my writing but aren’t into the WIPs here, I will write a fic that is a minimum of 10k for any character, ship, platonic pair, for any of the fandoms listed above. I’m also happy to write for material/canon I know but that isn’t listed above. If I know it well enough, I’ll write it for you! (Exception being RPS.) Just message me if you’re curious and I’ll confirm that I’m familiar with the source material. :)

Starting Bid: $10

Creator Notes:

Like my fellow mod, Mei, I am willing to work my winner's likes into my stories and am open to brainstorming sessions!

Feel free to email me to learn more about any of the WIPs stories and if you like, I will give you my Discord handle. I am willing to work with my winner's pairings as long as they don't fall into my DNWs. For Marvel the only two pairings (of the ones I am most familiar) that I just cannot see romantically/sexually are Clint/Natasha and Bucky/Steve.

Current Bid Spreadsheet: Here.

Please check what the current bid is at before bidding.

Bids might take a few minutes to load.

Bidding ends on November 28th 11:59:00pm CST. The highest bid before that deadline will win the auction.

Bidding Form: Here.

Please check the Bid Spreadsheet and bid higher than the previous bid.

You will not be notified if you have been outbid. Only the winner will be notified after bidding ends.

___

Auction #2

Type of fanwork: fanfiction

Fandom: Marvel, DC, Stranger Things, Game of Thrones, Supernatural, Mo Dao Zu Shi/The Untamed, (honestly, just email me if you like my writing... if I know your canon, I'm probably down)

Pairing(s): I'm a multi-shipper who loves underdog/rarepairs, existing WIPs are for Winterhawk, Winteriron, Winterironhawk, Robb/Theon, Billy Hargrove/Steve Harrington/Dean Winchester. Platonic/grey-ace pairings welcome!

Character(s): there isn't a character from any of the canons listed that I won't write

Rating: General, Teen, Mature

WIPs/Prompt:

Literally the same as Auction #1!

Staring Bid: $10

Creator Notes:

Like my fellow mod, Mei, I am willing to work my winner's likes into my stories and am open to brainstorming sessions!

Feel free to email me to learn more about any of the WIPs stories and if you like, I will give you my Discord handle. I am willing to work with my winner's pairings as long as they don't fall into my DNWs. For Marvel the only two pairings (of the ones I am most familiar) that I just cannot see romantically/sexually are Clint/Natasha and Bucky/Steve.

**In the unlikely event that both winning bidders want the same fic and you don’t want any of the other WIPs listed, I will offer up a fic of equal or greater length for whatever HC you desire. Within, of course, the same DNW parameters listed above. This includes the Wild Card option!**

Current Bid Spreadsheet: Here.

Please check what the current bid is at before bidding.

Bids might take a few minutes to load.

Bidding ends on November 28th 11:59:00pm CST. The highest bid before that deadline will win the auction.

Bidding Form: Here.

Please check the Bid Spreadsheet and bid higher than the previous bid.

You will not be notified if you have been outbid. Only the winner will be notified after bidding ends.

[sinsins52]

Everything Wrong With Everything Wrong With Teen Titans Go! To The Movies

ORIGINAL VIDEO: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bq3g4pJY07Y&t=0s

1.He’s slightly improved in a few ways, but he still has the same terrible intro that begs for likes.

2.He also still refuses to put his sinning intro over the actual title card. So really it’s Everything Wrong With _____

3.”A full minute of intros and I’m not even sure because two of them were for the WB” The 2nd one was for WB Animation, which is no different from all the other major animated films, it ain’t that long of a log sequence until the Marvel joke one.

4.”And already the first joke is them playing off the Marvel Cinematic intro. There’s so many Marvel jokes in this movie one might think they’re a bit bitter because they’re kicking their ass in the movie industry” Marvel is the dominating force in the superhero movie industry, and this movie spoofs a lot of that, so no duh there’s some Marvel jokes. Hell, there’s some potshots at DC, even in the first trailer!

5.”The welcome to Jump City sign is well within the center of the city. I think everyone knows where they are by the time they get that far in” That’s how it works in real though, or in the least my city is like that. And get used to him being pedantic, even by Sin standards..

6.”I don’t think anyone’s accidentally going to Jump City, one of the most riddled with crime places in the world, right next to Gotham or Metropolis” I…don’t get this one. I mean I don’t even know how to explain why you’re wrong I don’t even get your point. That accidentally really throws me off.

7.He sins all the references in this establishing shot, even though they are basically cute Easter eggs that are not sins.

8.”Batman’s not even liked in Gotham yet he has his own building” But maybe Jump City likes him fine. Also, this version of the DC characters is different in tons of ways, so why are you assuming it’s exactly like the other version in this case?

9.”I am upset that this isn’t even a gag character. It’s an actual person who exists in the DC world” That same world also has Kite Man and Condiment King. Just saying, the DC universe is weird and it’s not weird for a spoof movie to acknowledge this.

10.”Before he was crushing buildings with no problems, but now he can squeeze between them without them even building” He was punching at them before to destroy them as they were smaller than him but these two were a bit taller and there was a small space. Do the math.

11.”The safe is comically huge in comparasion to the actual bank” Congrats, you noticed.

12.”This why you can’t bring Starfire to a petting zoo” They were balloons. They pop. Come on.

13.”I get it, they’re supposed to be failed heroes but they’ve done plenty of stuff even in the TTG to be known within their own city” Maybe to the citizens or something, but not to this random villain we’ve never seen in the show before, and maybe he’s not super up to date anyway.

14.”Can’t Wonder Woman still fly in this world? I’m not sure why they gave her the invisible jet other than lol references are funny again”. If I had an invisible jet, I would show it off as much as possible…Maybe not “show” per say…

15.Also, the jet isn’t really a joke so that doesn’t apply here.

16.”Of all the heroes in Jump City, they had to pull out the A squad for Balloon man?” He still a pretty decent threat though, with all the destruction he was doing.

17.”They only make movies about real heroes” “But they’ll sure as hell make a Netflix original about just about anyone” If you’re referring to the Marvel shows, they're about pretty well liked and solid heroes, even Iron Fist isn’t that silly or an idea given their roster.

18.”The titans can afford to make their own movie, they have a private island and own a giant building” You mean like they do make? The one Robin dislikes because it is is so rnky dinky and he wants a serious Hollywood movie?

19.He really over analyzes a background reference to Young Justice.

20.”Further proof that the bat credit card has been canon all along” How does that Utility Belt movie prove this?

21.He shows off a fairly lo0ng clip just to sin another background gag. He likes to run the clips for too long, almost like he wants the video to be longer for extra watch time…

22”Breaking the 4th but yeah, he’s not Deadpool” That would work better if not for the actual Deadpool joke they make later. Oh and this character that character!

23.’I get it, this is a comedy movie-” And that’s when you should have stopped talking. His sin is that Slade being more comedic is “insulting” even though it really isn’t.

(By the way, this scene has them thinking Slade is Deadpool and Slade finds that comparison stupid because there’s plenty of guys with swords like him. The Titans would be amazing at Cinema Sins!)

24.He says he’s removing a sin for the Circe of Life spoof…but he ends up adding one. Whoops.

25.”Batman kills a baby-” In a dream sequence.

26.”This improvised song already has a billboard” A visual gag for a song is a sin I guess. Also, no sin removal for this?!

27.”This might be a bit overboard for a nitpick-” Lol.

28.”Would it have been okay if his dad wasn’t a cop?” No, but that fact does make it a bigger deal.

29.”Stan’s cameos are not subtle but neither are the references in this movie” And yet when they are subtle, you sin them anyway.

30.”Leaving them with the permanent injures” “And huge medical dat making him go right back to that life of crime-” Yes, because if he didn’t have bills, he’d just…give up crime for no reason? Also, I have no idea what he says but it sounds like “Dat” for screw it.

31.”Raven, who didn’t know the time cycles even existed prior to this was able to summon them from an unknown location because that’s how her powers work now” That’s how they’ve always worked but okay.

32.”When I think of rad, I definitely think of terseness are on tricycles” What, you don’t?

33.”What’s up with the 80’s fetishim in this movie? Take on Me, Tricycles-” I don’t think Tricycles are an 80’s thing.

34.”And Batman doesn’t remember the Teen Titans being the ones that pushed his parents into an alleyway to be brutally murdered” Eh, it’s scarring and all but I can buy him not remembering their exact faces and hey, they don’t dwelll on it too much since you’re not supposed to think about the logic in this silly movie too hard.

35.The bit where Cyborg and Beast Boy fal to be saved prompts him to go into this long winded rant on how it’s not possible. And I thought the previous sin was pedantic. This is after he sinned the movie for having bits that go on too long, by the way.

36.The sin counter randomly drops to 42 before going back to 85 in the next sin.

37.”Superman skips leg day, because that’s what happens when you can fly anywhere” …K?

38.”You already have Netflix, so there’s literally no reason for this” This is on a bigger scale and tell that to DC.

39.”Can you guys mainly do this so that Robin can get the movie? Wouldn’t this be the right choice?” I have no idea what you just said.

40.”He would have to keep up this facade all these years to compete these movies” Correct me if I’m wrong but there’s nothing to indicate “Jade Wilson” has been around for years, just that she’s a big director and those can rise fairly quickly sometimes.

(Frankly the real sin is that he didn’t just give the Robin the movie right away so can finish his plot quicker. Seriously, he just made it more complicated for himself)

41.”Slade, instead of using the swords and guns he has, decides to instead blow up an entire town” I think that’s far more efficiency in this case though.

42.”For a plan this is pretty retarded” Ugh.

43.”Added camera shake to make things more intense” Yes, that is why they did that, well done. Also, I hardly even noticed that here.

44.”-And I don’t mean that shitty Netflix original series were Starfire looks like a hooker” It’s not for Netflix and something that way you worded that bugs me.

45.It says Episode Sin Tally.

SINS VIDEO SIN TALLY: 45

SENTENCE: Mind Manipulation

Yep, our old friend Moliminus actually beat SeriesSins to it. I wanted to give SeriesSins time to do his video, but his taking his time so here we are. I will do his sometime in January if all goes well. I think this is the most sins for an off brand video, but that’s only because this video is 27 minutes long for some reason.

Anyway, I want the SinsSin post that goes up closest to Christmas to be a Cinema Sins video, so we’re doing Off Brand sins next week as well. And with it, we go back to a 2000’s animated movie.

[davidmann95]

Superman Starter Pack

First and most importantly, before we go into petty commercial concerns, let’s remember the meaning of the day I orginally posted this. Because friends, it was no ordinary day: it was Miracle Monday, the anniversary of Superman triumphing over no less than the biblical prince of darkness himself (or at least a respectable substitute), and it was so awesome that even though it was expunged from humanity’s collective consciousness, they still instinctively recognized the third Monday of May as a day of good cheer to be celebrated in Superman’s honor from now until the end of time.

I know I write plenty about Superman on here, but with as much as a pain as comics can be to get into, I’m sure at least some of those I’m lucky enough to have follow me haven’t been able to find an easy in for the character. Or maybe a follower-of-a-follower or friend-of-a-friend is looking for a reasonable place to start. So in the spirit of the season, I’ll toss on the (admittedly already pretty massive) pile of recommended starting points on Superman: ten stories in a recommended - but by no means strict - order that should, as a whole, give you a pretty decent idea of what Superman’s deal is and why you should care, all of which you should be able to find pretty easily on Comixology or a local bookstore/comic book shop.

1. Superman: Birthright

What it’s about: It’s his origin. He gets rocketed to Earth from the doomed planet Krypton, he gets raised by farmers, he puts on tights to fight crime, he meets Lois Lane and Lex Luthor, he deals with Kryptonite, all the standard-issue Superman business.

Why you should read it: It does all that stuff better than anyone else. He’s had a few different takes on his origins over the years due to a series of reboots, another of those tellings is even further down the list, but the first major modern one pretty much hit the nail on the head first try. It toes the tricky line of humanizing him without making you forget that hey, he’s Superman, it’s high-action fun without skimping on the character, and if there’s any one story that does the best job of conveying why you should look at an invincible man-god all but beyond sin or death with no major inciting incident in his background as a likable, relatable character, this is it. Add in some of the best Lane and Luthor material out there, and it’s a no-brainer.

Further recommendations if you liked it: About a decade before writing Birthright, its author Mark Waid worked with Alex Ross on what ended up one of DC’s biggest comics ever, Kingdom Come, the story of a brutal near-future of out-of-control superheroes that ultimately narrowed down to being about Superman above all else, and one of his most popular and influential stories of all time at that. Years after Birthright he created Irredeemable, the story of a Superman pastiche named Plutonian gone murderously rogue and how he reached his breaking point, illustrating a lot of what makes Superman special by way of contrast.

(Since Superman’s had so many notable homage/analogue/pastiche/rip-off/whatever-you-want-to-call-it characters compared to other superheroes, often in very good stories, there’ll be a number of those stories on this list.)

2. Superman: Up, Up and Away

What: Ever seen Superman Returns? That, but good. Clark Kent’s been living and loving a normal life as a reporter and husband after a cosmic dust-up in one of DC’s event comics took Superman off the board for a year, but mounting threats demand his return to save Metropolis again, if he still can.

Why: If you’d rather skip the origin, this is as a good a place as you’ll find to jump onboard. Clark and Lois both get some solid characterization, a number of classic villains have solid screentime, there’s some interesting Kryptonian mythology sticking its head in without being too intrusive, a great overarching threat to Metropolis, and it captures how Superman’s powers work in a visceral sense better than almost anything else. If you just want a classic, pick-it-up-and-go Fun Superman Story, this is where to go.

Recommendations: If you liked this, you’ll probably be inclined to enjoy the rest of co-writer Geoff Johns’ run on Action Comics, including most popularly Legion of Superheroes and Brainiac, both with artist Gary Frank. Another series tapping into that classic Superman feeling pretty well - regardless of whether you enjoyed the original show or not - is Smallville: Season 11, showing the adventures of that series’ young Clark Kent once he finally becomes Superman. Peter Tomasi and Patrick Gleason’s run on the main Superman title under the banner of DC Rebirth tried to maintain that feeling, properly introducing Jon Kent, Lois and Clark’s 10-year-old-son, as Superboy in what seems to be a permanent addition to the cast and mythology; your mileage on its success may vary, but Volume 2, Trials of the Super Sons, represents the best of it. And the current Superman work by Brian Bendis - beginning with his The Man Of Steel miniseries and spinning off into both Superman and Action Comics - while controversial, presents a very similar take on Superman to the one seen in Up, Up and Away and a similar sensibility, to very positive results.

3. Superman: Secret Identity

What: He’s Clark Kent, an aspiring writer from a farm town in Kansas. Problem is he’s only named after the other guy, an ordinary teenager who’s put up with crap his whole life for being named after a comic book character in an ordinary world. But when he suddenly finds himself far closer to his namesake than he ever would have imagined, it becomes the journey of his life to find how to really be a Superman.

Why: The best ‘realistic’ Superman story by a long shot, this doesn’t sideline its heart in favor of pseudo-science justifications for what he can do, or the sociopolitical impact of his existence. He has the powers, he wears the costume to save people (though he never directly reveals himself to the world), and in-between he lives his life and learns what it means to be a good man. It’s quiet and sweet and deeply human, and probably one of the two or three best Superman comics period.

Recommendations: If you like the low-key, pastoral aesthetic, you might enjoy Superman for All Seasons, or Supergirl: Being Super, and the one-shot Man and Superman by Marv Wolfman and Claudio Castellini has something of a similar down-to-Earth feel. I’d also recommend Jeff Loveness and Tom Grummet’s Glasses in Mysteries Of Love In Space. If you’d like more of writer Kurt Busiek’s work, his much-beloved series Astro City - focusing on a different perspective in the superhero-stuffed metropolis in every story - opens with A Dream of Flying, set from the point of view of the Superman-like Samaritan, telling of his quiet sorrow of never being to fly simply for its own sake in a world of dangers demanding his attention.

4. Of Thee I Sing

What: Gotham hitman Tommy Monaghan heads to the roof of Noonan’s bar for a smoke. Superman happens to be there at the time. They talk.

Why: A lot of people call this the best Superman story of the 90s, and they’re not wrong. Writer Garth Ennis doesn’t make any bones about hating the superhero genre in general (as evidenced by their treatment in the rest of Hitman), but he has a sincere soft spot for Superman as an ideal of what we - and specifically Americans - are supposed to be, and he pours it all out here in a story of what it means for Superman to fail, and why he remains Superman regardless. It sells the idea that an unrepentant killer - even one only targeting ‘bad guys’ like Tommy - would unabashedly consider Superman his hero, and that’s no small feat.

Recommendations: If you read Hitman #34 and love it but don’t intend to check out the rest of the series (why? It’s amazing), go ahead and read JLA/Hitman, a coda to the book showing the one time Tommy got caught up in the Justice League’s orbit, and what happens when Superman learns the truth about his profession, culminating in a scene that sums up What Superman Is All About better than maybe any other story. Tom King and Andy Kubert’s Superman: Up In The Sky, while not without blemish (there’s a rightly-controversial chapter involving Lois that precludes universal recommendation), is a similarly humane look at Superman and the clash of his iconic power and mortal limitations. If you appreciated the idea of a classically decent Superman in an indecent world, you might enjoy Al Ewing’s novel Gods of Manhattan (the middle of a loose pulp adventure trilogy with El Sombra and Pax Omega, which I’ve discussed in the past), starring Doc Savage and Superman analogue Doc Thunder warring with a fascistic new vigilante in a far different New York City.

5. Superman: Camelot Falls

What: On top of a number of other threats hitting Superman from all sides, he receives a prophecy from the wizard Arion, warning of a devastating future when mankind is faced with its ultimate threat; a threat it will be too weak to overcome due to Superman’s protection over the years, but will still only just barely survive without him. Will he abandon humanity to a new age of darkness, or try and fight fate to save them knowing it could lead to their ultimate extinction?

Why: From the writer of Secret Identity and co-writer of Up, Up and Away!, this is probably the best crack at the often-attempted “Would having Superman be around actually be a good thing for humanity in the long term?” story. Beyond having the courtesy of wrapping that idea up in a really solid adventure rather than having everyone solemnly ruminate for the better part of a year, it comes at it from an angle that doesn’t feel like cheating either logically or in terms of the characters, and it’s an extremely underrated gem.

Recommendations: For the same idea tackled in a very different way, there’s the much better-known Superman: Red Son, showing the hero he would have become growing up in the Soviet Union rather than the United States; going after similar ideas is the heartfelt Superman: Peace on Earth. The rest of Kurt Busiek’s time on the main Superman title was great too, even if this stood easily as the centerpiece; his other trades were Back In Action, Redemption, The Third Kryptonian, and Shadows Linger. Speaking of underrated gems, Gail Simone’s run on Action Comics from around the same time with John Byrne was also great, collected in Strange Attractors. And since the story opens with an excellent one-shot centered around his marriage to Lois, I have to recommend From Krypton With Love if you can track it down in Superman 80-Page Giant #2, and Thom Zahler’s fun Lois-and-Clark style webcomic Love and Capes.

6. Superman Adventures

What: A spinoff of Superman: The Animated Series, this quietly chugged along throughout the latter half of the 90s as the best of the Superman books at the time.

Why: Much as stories defining his character and world are important, the bread and butter of Superman is just regular old fun comics, and there’s no better place to go than here for fans of any and all ages. Almost all of its 66 issues were at least pretty fun, but by far most notable were two runs in particular - Scott McCloud, the guy who would go on to literally write the book on the entire medium in Understanding Comics, handled the first year, and Mark Millar prior to his breakout success wrote a number of incredibly charming and sincere Superman stories here, including arguably the best Luthor story in How Much Can One Man Hate?, and a full comic on every page in 22 Stories In A Single Bound.

Recommendations: Superman has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to runs of just plain fun comics. For the youngest in your family, Superman Family Adventures might just be what you’re looking for. Supergirl: Cosmic Adventures in the Eighth Grade would fit on your shelf very well next to Superman Adventures. Superman: Secret Origin, while not the absolute best take on his early days, has some real charm and would be an ideal introduction for younger readers that won’t talk down to them in the slightest, and that you’ll probably like yourself (especially since it seems to be the ‘canon’ Superman origin again). If you’re interested in something retro, The Superman Chronicles cover his earliest stories from the 30s and 40s, and Showcase Presents: Superman collects many of his most classic adventures from the height of his popularity in the 50s and 60s. Age of the Sentry and Alan Moore’s Supreme would also work well. For slightly older kids (i.e. middle school), they might get a kick out of Mark Millar and Lenil Yu’s Superior, or What’s So Funny About Truth, Justice, and the American Way? And finally, for just plain fun Superman runs, I can’t ignore the last year of Joe Casey’s much-overlooked time on The Adventures of Superman.

7. Superman vs. Lex Luthor

What: Exactly what it says on the tin: a collection of 12 Luthor stories from his first appearance to the early 21st century.

Why: Well, he’s Superman’s biggest enemy, that’s why, and even on his own is one of the best villains of all time. Thankfully, this is an exceptionally well-curated collection of his greatest hits; pouring through this should give you more than a good idea of what makes him tick.

Recommendations: While he has a number of great showings in Superman-centric comics, his two biggest solo acts outside of this would be Brian Azzarello and Lee Bermejo’s Luthor (originally titled Lex Luthor: Man of Steel) and Paul Cornell’s run on Action Comics, where Lex took over the book for about a year. Also, one of Superman’s best writers, Elliot S! Maggin, contributed a few stories here - he’s best known for his brilliant Superman novels Last Son of Krypton and the aforementioned Miracle Monday, and he wrote a number of other great tales I picked some highlights from in another article.

8. Grant Morrison’s Action Comics

What: Spanning years, it begins in a different version of Superman’s early days, where an as-yet-flightless Clark Kent in a t-shirt and jeans challenged corrupt politicians, grappling with the public’s reaction to its first superhero even as his first true menace approaches from the stars. Showing his growth over time into the hero he becomes, he slowly realizes that his life has been subtly influenced by an unseen but all-powerful threat, one that in the climax will set Superman’s greatest enemies’ against him in a battle not just for his life, but for all of reality.

Why: The New 52 period for Superman was a controversial one at best, and I’d be the last to deny it went down ill-advised roads and made outright bone-stupid decisions. But I hope if nothing else this run is evaluated in the long run the way it deserves; while the first arc is framed as something of a Superman origin story, it becomes clear quickly that this is about his life as a whole, and his journey from a cocksure young champion of the oppressed in way over his head, to a self-questioning godling unsure of the limits of his responsibilities as his powers increase, and finally an assured, unstoppable Superman fighting on the grandest cosmic scale possible against the same old bullies. It gives him a true character arc without undermining his essential Superman-ness, and by the end it’s a contender for the title of the biggest Superman story of all.

Recommendations: Most directly, Morrison did a one-off mini-sequel to this run in Sideways Annual #1, where he gets to give his creation of t-shirt Superman a proper sendoff after he was quickly retconned out of the main line. Outside of this, Greg Pak’s runs on Action Comics and Batman/Superman, and Tom Taylor/Robson Rocha’s 3-issue Batman/Superman stint, as well as Scott Snyder, Jim Lee and Dustin Nguyen’s blockbuster mini Superman Unchained, are the best of the New 52 era. If you’re looking for more wild cosmic Superman adventure stories, Grant Morrison’s Superman Beyond is a beautiful two-part adventure (it ties in to his event comic Final Crisis but largely works standalone), and Joe Casey’s Mr. Majestic was a largely great set of often trippy cosmic-scale adventure comics with its Superman-esque lead. For something a little more gonzo, maybe try the hilariously bizarre Coming of the Supermen by Neal Adams. And while his role in it is relatively minor, if we’re talking cosmic Superman-related epics, Jack Kirby’s Fourth World has to be mentioned - it’s soon being reisssued once again in omnibus format.

9. Superman: Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?

What: More than just the title story, DC issued a collection of all three of Watchmen writer Alan Moore’s Superman stories: For The Man Who Has Everything, where Superman finds himself trapped in his idea of his ideal life while Batman, Wonder Woman and Robin are in deadly danger in the real world, Jungle Line, where a deliriously ill and seemingly terminal Superman finds help in the most unexpected place, and Whatever Happened to the Man of Tomorrow?, Moore’s version of the final Superman story.

Why: Dark Superman stories are a tricky tightrope to walk - go too far and you invalidate the core his world is built around - but Moore’s pretty dang good at his job. Whatever Happened you should wait to read until you’ve checked out some Superman stories from the 1960s first since it’s very much meant as a contrast to those, but For The Man Who Has Everything is an interesting look at Superman’s basic alienation (especially in regards to his characterization in that period of his publication history) with a gangbuster final fight, and Jungle Line is a phenomenal Superman horror story that uncovers some of his rawest, most deeply buried fears.

Recommendations: There are precious few other dark Superman stories that can be considered any real successes outside a few mentioned among other recommendations; the closest I can think of is Superman: For Tomorrow, which poses some interesting questions framed by gorgeous art, but has a reach tremendously exceeding its grasp. Among similar characters though, there are some real winners; Moore’s own time on Miracleman was one of the first and still one of the most effective looks at what it would mean for a Superman-like being to exist in the real world, and the seminal novel Superfolks, while in many ways of its time, was tremendously and deservedly influential on generations of creators. Moore had another crack at the end of a Superman-like figure in his Majestic one-shot, and the Change or Die arc of Warren Ellis’ run on Stormwatch (all of which is worth reading) presented a powerful, bittersweet look at a superman’s attempt at truly changing the world for the better.

10. All-Star Superman

What: Superman rescues the first manned mission to the sun, sabotaged by Lex Luthor. His powers have reached greater heights than ever from the solar overexposure, but it’s more than his cells can handle: he’s dying, and Lex has won at last. This is what Superman does with his last year of life.

Why: I put this at the bottom since it works better the more you like Superman, but if you’re only going to read one story on this list, this one has to be it. It’s one of the best superhero stories period, and it’s everything that’s wistful and playful and sad and magical and wonderful about Superman in one book.

Recommendations: If you’re interested in the other great “Death of Superman” story, skip the 90s book and go to co-creator Jerry Siegel and Curt Swan’s 60s ‘Imaginary Story’, also one of the best Superman stories ever, and particularly one of Luthor’s best showings. If you got a kick out of the utopian ‘Superman fixes everything’ feel of a lot of it, try The Amazing Story of Superman-Red and Superman-Blue! The Supergirl run of Steve Orlando tries to operate on a pretty similar wavelength, and was definitely the best thing coming out of the Superman family of books at the time. The recent Adventures of Superman anthology series has a number of creators try and do their own ‘definitive’ Superman stories, often to great results. Help, ostensibly a Lex Luthor story by Jeff Loveness and David Williams in DC’s Beach Blanket Bad Guy’s Special, is in fact as feel-good a take on Superman’s relevancy as there is. And Avengers 34.1 starring Hyperion by Al Ewing and Dale Keown taps into All-Star’s sense of an elevated alien perspective paired with a deep well of humanity to different but still moving results.

[renaroo]

Chip Off the Old Block

Disclaimer: Batman, Superman and associated characters are the creative property of DC Comics. Warnings: Canon-typical violence & language Rating: T Prompt: ( @amariemelody ) YAY! Then, when you have time? Can you do Clark staying home with and caring for Jon b/c Jon caught the Kryptonian-version of a cold and so he has to stay home from school? OMFG, it'd be so cute!!!

A/N: This was fun to write so thank you so much for the prompt

Standing nervously in the doorway, Clark did his best to stay out of Jon’s peripheral vision. A task made only more difficult by the fact that the entire time Lois was sitting on the boy’s bed and trying to keep his attention, Jon was staring directly in Clark’s direction.

Jon did that a lot. Looking to Clark for an emotional baseline, as if he knew that Clark was the weaker link between the two of them. Lois could remain guarded and tough no matter what.

Clark was wringing his hands.

“Well, you’re not going to school today,” Lois decided at last, sighing and taking a thermometer from their son’s mouth. “You are definitely running a fever and your coughs and sneezes almost blow a hole through the ceiling.”

“Aw, Mom, you were never going to let me go to school,” Jon whined with a crackling, hoarse voice. “You said from the start. Why’d you even take my temperature?”

“Because empirical evidence is always good to have in your arsenal,” Lois replied before leaning forward and putting a firm kiss on Jon’s forehead. “Finish your orange juice and get some sleep. When you feel better you can go watch some tv, but I don’t want you pushing yourself.”

“I’m Superboy,” he whined even as he settled into his cocoon of blankets and duvets.

“No, you’re Sickboy and you’re staying home today,” Lois replied, walking out of their son’s room and looking toward Clark with a raised eyebrow. “You doubted my mother’s intuition.”

“No. Maybe,” Clark said, rubbing the back of his neck. “It’s just.. I never caught the flu or got sick when I was growing up, Lois. And Jon’s…”

“Only half Kryptonian and has only had his powers developing recently,” Lois reminded him. “He’s a kid. They get sick sometimes. Germs and whatnot. Not to mention we let him fly to Gotham… who knows what’s in the smog over that city…”

“Lois,” Clark admonished.

“Oh, I’m kidding, Smallville,” she assured him, leaning against the hall wall and crossing her arms.

“I know you are,” Clark replied, exasperated. “I just don’t know how you can! I mean… Jon’s sick and… And that’s…”

“Scary,” Lois replied.

“I’m terrified,” Clark replied with a forced smile.

“That’s being a parent,” Lois assured him. “I’d be more worried if you weren’t being your over protective, worrywart self, Clark.”

He smiled fondly at Lois, still so taken aback by how strong and inspiring his wife could still be after all the years they had been together.

“Which is also why you’re the one staying home today,” Lois said, pushing off the wall and heading toward the bathroom.

“What?” Clark asked critically.

“I’m going to work, you need to stay and take care of Jon because one, Perry’s going to notice me taking off more than you taking off, two, I am not staying at home so that you can text me for updates every twenty seconds, and three, my son’s sneezes can knock me over but you’re more wind resistant.”

Clark suddenly felt less inspired. “Lois, I told you, I’ve never been sick before. I don’t know what I’m doing.”

“Chicken noodle soup, cough syrup, hydrate him, and, pretending that you’re doing it behind my back, give him a little bit of ice cream when he’s feeling better,” Lois listed off. “It’s real kitsch — you’ll love it.”

“You’re overestimating my abilities here, honey,” Clark replied.

“Oh, I definitely am,” Lois agreed with a laugh.

“Do you want me to text you with updates?” Clark asked, half joking.

Lois looked up dully from getting her clothes together and she pointed warningly at him. “I want only messages of dramatically better or worryingly worse. Anything in between and I’ll block your number, Clark. I can’t worry about my baby while I’m trying to remember how to spell without my main spellchecker there.”

“Curious only has one ‘r’,” Clark joked.

“I love you,” Lois said, leaning up and kissing him. “Don’t let our son’s temperature lead to some sort of nuclear meltdown of our new apartment.”

“Can that happen?” Clark asked seriously.

“Guess we’ll find out!” Lois joked in return.

Clark actually took quite a bit of pride in the fact that he didn’t give into temptation and call Lois until nearly noon. To which he was told yes it was normal that a sickly Jon was still sleeping.

“It just seems like it’s a lot of sleeping,” Clark attempted to explain.

“And that would be considered a good thing by most people’s standards, Smallville,” Lois joked over the phone. “Nothing takes care of a cold quite like sleeping it off.” She sounded distracted and distant. Clark wondered how she knew so much without even being in the apartment. He really had married a true Super Woman. “Have you made chicken noodle soup yet?”

“No,” Clark answered, looking in on Jon one more time.

“Then you should get started on that instead of calling me,” Lois informed him. “Jon’ll need to eat something shen he wakes up, and you obviously need something to distract you that isn’t some kind of world-threatening calamity.”

“I can handle world-threatening calamities,” Clark grumbled, mostly to himself.

“I’m in a writing groove, hon, just relax. You’re my Superman after all, I think you can handle a common cold. Just make sure Jon doesn’t break anything with his sneezes,” Lois warned. “I won’t blame him but I’ll definitely blame you in every argument for the rest of our marriage.”

“Got it,” Clark sighed as Lois hung up.

After getting one last look at his sleeping son, Clark headed to the kitchen and had a good look around. “Alright then,” he said, hands on his hips. “Let’s make chicken noodle soup.”

Perhaps it was a function of Clark having never been all that sick when he was growing up, but the association between soup and sickness always seemed strange to him. Ma never spared an opportunity to make a good soup for them back in Smallville, and like everything else she made it was perfection regardless of the time of year.

Still, he had seen enough Campbell’s commercials to at least know it was a concept that existed.

So he got the pot out, some chicken broth, salt and pepper, debated on noodles for almost five minutes before settling on angel hair, cracked an egg in, diced canned chicken and prayed that neither Pa nor Ma were looking down on him for using canned chicken of all things, and he began making the soup.

Of course, all of that was easier done than said when one had super speed and heat vision moderated to the perfect temperature for the pot.

Standing by the stove with a finished pot of soup, Clark rubbed his chin and wondered what would be best to do with the soup — put it in the oven? Put it on simmer? What would Ma do?

“Is that soup?” a scratchy voice asked from behind Clark.

“Jon, you’re out of bed,” Clark pointed out, turning to look at his scraggly headed, hunched over son. It just about broke his heart, even if it was a ‘mere’ cold. “Yes! I have some soup for you, if you’re feeling up to it.”

Using his full sleeve, Jon lazily wiped at his nose and mouth, making his already red cheeks and nose redder before he sniffed heavily again. “Mmkay,” he responded before sluggishly dragging himself up to the kitchen table and plopping down.

As soon as he was sitting, Jon laid his cheek on the table, facing Clark. He watched as Clark got a bowl from the cabinets and began to pour for him. “Do cities have more germs?”

Clark hesitated before pouring the rest of the chicken noodle soup in the bowl. “More germs than…?”

“Than Hamilton?” Jon asked, lifting his head up lazily when Clark approached with the bowl. “I need a spoon.”

“Right,” Clark replied, putting down the bowl and heading to the utensil drawer. “I believe germs are everywhere you go, Jon. But cities do have more people, which sometimes means they can pass more germs to one another quicker.”

“I knew it,” Jon groaned, laying his head down beside the bowl even when Clark came back with the spoon. “Metropolis is trying to kill me.”

Cracking a smile, Clark forced the spoon into his son’s hand and then took his seat across the table. “Metropolis isn’t trying to kill you. And there probably aren’t more germs per person here either. The problem is… human immune systems need to… adapt. There might not be more germs, but you’re probably exposed to new germs. Which means your immune system was caught off guard and just needs some time to deal with it.”

“Because Metropolis isn’t Hamilton,” Jon concluded, pulling his head off the table and letting it roll back loosely as he looked down at the soup.

“Sounds to me like you and Metropolis need to spend some more quality time with each other,” Clark joked. “Pretty sure she wouldn’t appreciate all this ire directed her way.” He then looked down to the soup and back up to Jon. “If you’re not really feeling hungry, you don’t have to eat right now, Jon. I can just get you some water or orange juice or maybe sprite if your stomach’s upset?”

“No,” he said as he grabbed his spoon and began to stir his soup. He lapsed into silence for a moment before looking to Clark almost mournfully. “Hey, Dad?”

“Yes, Jon?” Clark replied, tilting his head just slightly.

“Will I get used to Metropolis?” Jon asked. “I mean… to its… germs?”

Clark hummed to himself slightly, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms. “Well, I never got sick when I moved to the city for the first time, mind you, but I also moved from a small town where I felt like I knew everyone and every thing there was to know around me. And I came here the first time and… well it was like living in an entirely different world. It was as alien to me as the holograms and recordings the Sunstones showed me of Krypton. And for the first few weeks, well, I didn’t even know where to put my foot down to find a footing,” he admitted. “I wasn’t sick, but I was definitely not used to the needs and calls of a city.”

“How did you get used to it?” Jon asked, voice sounding a little stronger as he took his first spoonful of soup into his mouth.

“Well, the lucky thing about us, son, is that when I didn’t find my footing… I remembered I could fly,” he said, thinking back on the early years with a fondness he hadn’t realized he still held for the City of Tomorrow.

“Mom used to move around all the time ‘cuz of Grandpa Sam, right?” Jon asked, continuing to eat. “How’d she get used to Metropolis?”

“I don’t know, she was here winning Pulitzers before I ever came onto the scene,” Clark laughed. “But I know one thing about your mother, when she sees something she wants, when she settles on something she wants to achieve, neither hell nor high-water can keep her from it.” He paused. “Including wanting to get Superman for an exclusive.”

“How’d she do that?” Jon asked.

“She jumped off a roof so I’d catch her,” Clark replied before realizing he was perhaps being a little too honest with their son. He glanced over to Jon’s shocked face. “Um. You should do as your mother says and not as your mother does.”

“At least I can fly,” Jon said, amazed. “Mom can’t but she did it anyway—“

“I didn’t say she was good at risk assessment, Jon, I’m glad you inherited some of my reservations,” Clark laughed, trying to switch subjects as he heard a familiar rhythm from the hallway. “How’s your soup?”

“Okay,” Jon replied.

“Only okay?” Clark asked, trying not to show his surprise.

“Mom’s is better,” Jon informed him.

“Your mother warms up a can of soup. This is homemade,” Clark tried to defend.

“No wonder my ears were burning at the office,” Lois’ voice called from the door as it opened. “Sorry to just drop in. I kept writing the same sentence five times and realized that I couldn’t get any work done knowing my little man of the house was in bed sick.”

“Hi, Mom,” Jon greeted her, melting into her side as she pulled him into a hug against her waist.

Lois then looked perturbed toward Clark. “How else do you make soup if it’s not from a can?” she asked. “Never mind, don’t tell me. It’s in the can because someone else has already perfected it.”

Clark sighed and got up, pulling both of his family into an embrace. “Jon, you might miss Hamilton, but let me assure you, you are every bit the tasteless city slicker that your mother is.”

“Hey!” both Lois and Jon yelled back, half in jest.

[saturdayam]

Saturday AM Movie Review: SPIDERMAN: HOMECOMING

.So, let's just get this out of the way...SPIDERMAN: HOMECOMING IS EXCELLENT!

Seriously, it's much, much more than mere "good".

This is easily the Best SPIDERMAN movie EVER!

BEST MCU MOVIE? --- well, let's say it's in the top 3 or 4 but for many, it'll be the favorite.

It's literally re-watchable. Many, many times over.

I'm nearly 30hrs from a pre-screening ( the movie opens July 7th) and I'm just buzzing for the chance to see it again. That's a big deal cuz as a 40-something comic fan who has seen MANY COMICBOOK, SUPERHERO MOVIES -- I've found myself extremely jaded over the last few years. Special effects have given us so many possibilities that previously only comic books and animated productions could visualize. Imaginative new worlds and ideas that were the exclusive province of truly gifted animators, writers, and/or comic artists are now easily presented for the masses via a living, 3D cinematic expressions in movies and a rising number of TV shows.

But something has happened.

I noticed it when I went to a Licensing Executives-only screening of Peter Jackson's KING KONG (many years ago--- God, I'm getting old) and that was this emptiness. By emptiness, I mean....this lack of spark, personality, and/or life. Think Big Trouble in Little China, GHOSTBUSTERS (the original) and the original Superman. Those films have a personality and I remember watching that kick-ass foot catch by Jackson's Kong thinking "WOW - this wouldn't have happened with the 1970's or 30's version of Kong". On the other hand, I left that screening thinking the plot was contrived and characters were lame. It had the technical wizardry but little heart.

I think WB / DC COMICS DCEU is the modern day example of this. Clearly, Snyder's Superman is displaying his powers in ways that had never been seen on screen before. There are shots in MAN OF STEEL and BATMAN V SUPERMAN that are lifted straight from the comic books. That said, both of those movies have storylines and acting that are so...lukewarm (if not, straight juvenile) that the franchise is just getting decimated by Marvel Studios despite DC/WB having a damn near 30 years headstart on Marvel with successful film adaptations (Donner Superman and Burton's Batman) and the fact that Batman, Superman, and Wonder Woman are the most popular superhero characters globally by a wide margin  

SPIDERMAN HOMECOMING could have fallen under the weight of franchise fatigue (this is the 7th Spiderman film in 17 years) and/or just the behemoth that Marvel has wrought on the global box office and yet this film does not suffer from the things that afflict so many effects-heavy cinematic spectacles. This film has so much charm and personality that it's just...amazing! A lot of the reason for that is the story and the focus on a YOUNG PETER PARKER. Another reason for that is for one of the most diverse and accurate portrayals of high school --- ever.

Now A LOT has been made about the diverse cast in this movie and it should never be a shock to fans of Saturday AM how many people in the GEEK space bring negative, bigoted views to comics and anime. To be clear, SPIDERMAN's cast is incredibly charming from top to bottom. Tom Holland's Peter Parker has a Queens accent, loves Legos, and has the perfect wide-eyed enthusiasm. I am in for this kid big-time. He has so much charm and earnestness and he's not trying to 'play the nerd' ala Maguire or be the lonely heartthrob ala Garfield. There are two scenes that really stand out to me - one when Peter screws up on the Ferry (from the trailers, great scene folks) and then another during his first actual moment with the Vulture (it's in a car and it will shock you) and his simple reactions to both moments are so well-acted and so perfectly rendered to the story that for me it cemented the idea that HOLLAND IS THE PERFECT SPIDERMAN!

His class/ school, however, is where the film truly shines. Laura Harrier plays Liz, Spiderman's crush while the famous Zendaya plays a character sure to pop up in future films named Michelle. That there are two female leads and they are both women of color is some Saturday AM level stuff! I mean it. The same arguments I've had about having a minority main character in a manga and the refrain (laughably from other minorities at that) "it would just be forced to add a person of color" as if it's NOT forced to add in white/ European looking characters into Japanese society or future worlds (ala Attack on Titan). I can only imagine that some Sony exec tried to pull the same stunt -- "Hey, you can't have two women in Spiderman that he likes or hangs out with be black!!!" As if Queens, NY is an all-white town. Now, not everyone works. I will say that Flash Thompson played by Tony Revolori seems miscast for reasons other than his skin color -- the lack of menace, the height all conspire to make him a jarring choice for being the well-known bully. That said, the diversity adds so much to this film because it feels REAL, RELATABLE to everyone. From the school principal to the deli owner to the kids in the hallway of Peter's school, seeing so many people of color just adds such texture to the world that Peter inhabits and makes the idea that this is the MCU from the street level surprisingly feel more accurate than Marvel's Netflix shows.

This point, is brought home by the gym teacher played by a hilariously deadpan, Hannibal Burres, adds some great comedy when he suggests the Captain America school videos (which has a great payoff later in the film) is inappropriate because he's probably a "war criminal, now" (thanks, CIVIL WAR). But this diversity message really applies to two characters who are CRUCIAL to the success of this new Spiderman film and series. First up, the VULTURE.

Now, I won't ruin the twist to this film but not only is it a solid one but it really sells the whole idea of this version of the B-grade Spiderman villain. From the first frame of the film, we learn what life is really like for the hard working folks in a THOR, IRON MAN led-MCU and how that may affect a potential villain like the Vulture. Keep in mind, we just elected TRUMP in the US -- so the idea of the people feeling desperate enough to do something crazy is something we should all be able to relate to. And that's where Michal Keaton's character really shines. His actions are logical and while he's the bad guy - you can see how different his life could have gone had he gotten luckier in life -- just like our little Peter Parker.

Likewise, his redesign is AWESOME! I genuinely loved this look. It was creative in its' associations with the Vulture motif while also being synonymous with this world of the MCU. You could see how it could be terrifying in its' own right. I've seen a few reviews where folks have lamented some of the action scenes and while I disagree wholeheartedly (the Washington monument and Boat Ferry were both spectacular and remind of the classic train scene from Spiderman 2) I DO understand the lack of thrill in the battles between Vulture and Spiderman. At this point, neither has really fought to the death against another super-powered character (Spidey's Civil War romp was like a field trip to Peter -- we come to learn) and thus the battles are perfectly thrilling, intimate affairs rather than spectacle IMO. This is a small film. The world is not at stake and in many ways, that's what makes these more precise action beats so strong.

 Peter is still a nerd. He can't talk to girls and he wants to do the right thing even though those actions usually cause him and his loved one's problems. In fact, his friends are still intrinsically a part of his life (as we all can attest to regarding our own high school lives). Ned (played with such charm by Jacob Batalon) is the breakout star of this film. The young, portly best friend dreams of being Peter's "guy in the chair" and thus gives the film something desperately needed in the world of the MCU. He allows Peter to simply relate to someone with his secret without lazily needing to have it tie into a love triangle between the original trilogies' Mary Jane Watson (Kirsten Dunst) and the reboot's Gwen Stacy (Emma Stone) and the Spiderman persona. That the character is also diverse and clearly brought over from the Miles Morales Spiderman comic (he shares more than a passing resemblance to that series 'best friend', Ganke) is one thing - that he's lovable and funny as hell - is everything to this film.

SPIDERMAN: HOMECOMING is fun, it's FUNNY, and it offers a different view of the Marvel Cinematic Universe that suggests that with CIVIL WAR, the original IRON MAN film and the GUARDIANS OF THE GALAXY -- Marvel Studios can tell ANY type of superhero story. This is crucial because given the battles between DC, Marvel and many others (c'est la vie, TMNT / Transformers) it means that we don't have to worry that this genre of film will feel stale. Spiderman Homecoming proves you can do funny films with a lot of heart!

Saturday AM score: 5/5

[kaliiwashere]

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Properly aware of the advantages that come from studying comics. Which Marvel comics do you have to read earlier than (or after) Captain Marvel? Repetition. Go back to your daily newspaper and look at the comics’ web page. The cartoonist is utilizing repetition to establish the character. Due to this fact, we could say that it has nothing to do with a changing tendencies, whatever is new and trendy, photo to pop art print remains in the midst of its known usability in discipline of artwork. I looked, and there earlier than me was a pale horse! There actually is something for everybody. Cosplay additionally means costume play and the fans usually come to the comic conventions dressed in costumes. Eight delectable Expansions that adopted added to the joy of the game play. Then by all means, use it. Through the use of these exaggerations, it doesn’t matter what other particulars I embody. The possessed doll first hit the screens in the 1988 horror basic 'Child's Play'. Corey Haim, the lead of the unique horror film, and Corey Feldman, the 2 Coreys, reprise their original roles. Nonetheless, in 2003 Hasbro would relinquish management to Batman's rights to Mattel. You also get preferential treatment in some cases and entry to particular events and performances. A Possible Alternate Future to the Comic Book Industry

It may haven't been planned quite a few this week's comics occur to take care of fathers and sons. That might not sound strange however when you think about classic comics there are few prominent father figures. Some of the most prominent super heroes do not have dads. Superman's father is dead, ditto for Batman, Uncle Ben could be the closest thing with a dad Peter Parker ever had and that we are all aware so what happened to him. I'm not even going to go near Silk Spectre's daddy issues. Is there an underlying reasons why most superheroes will also be orphans? Superhero costumes are as countless because amount of superheroes themselves. However, some are definitely more convenient than these. For example, an outfit for Kratos, the flesh-rendering character through the iconic game God of War, is certainly easier to dress up than the Mjolnir suits from Halo, or perhaps the Iron Man suit. The former only mandates that you have very good condition, and have sufficiently huge amounts of body paint available. Meanwhile, an intricate Iron Man suit doesn't only set you back several hundred, otherwise several thousand dollars, it is usually extremely bothersome to put on and remove.

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[aira26soonas]

How Mainstreet Media Steps Up When Mainstream Media Lets Us Down

What we can learn from the media's silence about the South Georgia Storm Disaster 2017

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Is it that we don’t have a dead baby in a ditch like we had in the Camilla tornadoes in 2000 to get people upset? Is that Albany Georgia’s tragedy is ignored? Or is it just that the news media is so busy covering reality DC that they don’t have time to report on a storm that left 8,000 homes without power and my Facebook sources tell me thousands of homes damaged. With 9 tornadoes – that’s right NINE TORNADOES and 3 thunderstorm wind events reported by the National Weather service, I’m at a loss trying to understand why this isn’t national news. Without power for days, we have cold weather coming, and many impoverished people are going to suffer greatly. But if you turn on your TV, I doubt many of you will hear about it. And this complete lack of reporting is a problem. In this blog post I’m going to share why this is a problem and what we can do to help the survivors in this growing disaster.

I’ve embedded a film below, but it is from Facebook and some of you may not be able to see it.

When I got up Tuesday morning, I turned on the news, and heard about “some storms.” Some traffic lights were out. I did not grasp the magnitude of what happened. People at school were talking about the tragedy, and I thought,

Surely, if it were that bad, the news would have reported it, and the national news would have picked it up.

Nope. Mainstream media is too busy covering reality DC these days to talk about what truly matters.

As we saw during the election, the media seemed to be too busy manipulating us to inform us about things that matter to use average everyday folks. They’d rather get us upset about something over which we have no control than tell us about something where we can actually help. And they’ve failed yet again.

But you know who hasn’t failed? Mainstreet media. That’s you and that’s me. And we CAN make mainstream media notice if we all bring awareness to this. In fact, I’m hearing that MOST people are hearing the depth of tragedy through Facebook and NOT the media. And the media wants to know why they’re irrelevant.

I’ve asked for photographs and stories and Mainstreet media has filled my inbox with the pictures I’m sharing as part of this post. Feel free to add yours. Also note, while I’m using the hashtag #prayforalbany there are many towns impacted. I’ve heard from Newton, Meigs, Leary, and Baconton about extensive damage. This is a storm disaster of massive proportions.

Why Media Coverage Matters

I learned the depth of the tragedy from my church Facebook page when I got home from school at 4pm Tuesday. That was when we started collecting water to respond to the desperate and growing need.

If we don’t know, we don’t go. It is that simple.

You see, I have personal experience with storms before. In 2000, Kip and I were head of the Mitchell County Volunteer Command Center. On February 14, 2000, three tornadoes ripped through my tiny hometown damaging over 200 homes. We also had a terrible loss of life and 28 people died. It was something none of us would ever want to relive. There are no fond memories. We only feel the pain. But, just like in Albany, the entire community pulled together to respond to that storm.

The second day in Camilla, a big truck from Alabama full of bulldozers and heavy equipment pulled up and said,

“Where do you need us. We’re here to help, but we’re not here to charge.”

Because of extensive national news coverage, there were people everywhere coming out to help. Random strangers just showed up, helped, and left. We didn’t even know all their names. They knew that there was a need. That is what average everyday Americans do — we show up to help our neighbors.

That is if we know they need help. I’ve never seen anyone show up for a disaster they didn’t know about first.

What I Saw When We Delivered Water in Albany

Well, yesterday I wanted my students and to be those random strangers who helped. We gave out flats of water in public housing projects near Hugh Mills Stadium in Albany.  To my surprise, I saw a tragedy that far exceeded the damage I saw in Camilla in 2000.

And I didn’t see one truck from the media. So, here’s our truck. My Mainstreet media friends and I are telling you what really is happening.

There are lots of trees down. But bigger than this, many people are without power. Many very impoverished homes have had refrigerators out since Monday and won’t have power for perhaps weeks.

Just because you don’t have a tree in your yard doesn’t mean the storm hasn’t upended your life.

Why Media Silence Hurts Good People When Tragedies Strike

Here’s the problem when the media ignores a tragedy:

If people don’t know, people don’t go.

If people don’t know, the money doesn’t show.

It people don’t know, it takes longer to get better.

In my experience, when dealing with a disaster – nothing makes it better. Your only hope is to help people get better, faster. That way, you don’t have people feeling hopeless, getting depressed, and acting out in their pain.

Simply put, you want to help as many people as possible get back their life as soon as possible.

How the News Media Is Letting Us Down

The city of Albany is mobilizing and helping itself. But, even here I heard a local news reporter joking that she hoped for snow on Saturday. I yelled at the TV,

You have people who have been without power since Monday, who are living in freezing cold apartments with children, and you’re wishing for snow?

The complete and utter inability of the media to share what’s important in this world anymore befuddles me.

There used to be a time when news reporters reported on what was important. Additionally, they felt they had a responsibility to speak the truth. Now, I think they’re more interested in reality DC than they are in speaking the truth about what’s happening out in America.

Well, average America needs a responsible media, and guess what. You and I now have a job we were never intended to play.

Now last night I tweeted all of the mainstream media and of course didn’t hear a tweet back. I mean for all they know I’m just a random person with 134,000 Twitter followers.

My life was not made better last night when they went in and re-shared the live stream of the abuse of a special needs boy by four people. I can do nothing about what happened but be shocked and upset. Instead, why didn’t they share about the damage in Albany, Georgia and how they need help? The cold is coming and people are still without power.

Obviously, I can’t do anything about mainstream media, but I can do something about main street media. I can because I’m part of it.

Who am I? I’m a small town schoolteacher who some people read. And the people who read my blog aren’t just slacktivists; I attract ACTIVISTS. I attract people who DO SOMETHING to make the world a better place. We don’t whine about it; we do something about it.

So, let’s get busy.

Calling Out Main Street Media

So, dear reader, I now dub you, “mainstreet media.” You have a job to do. Go out there and tell people about this tragedy that has happened and how they can help. And then volunteer and do what you can.

1 – Tell People About the Tragedy And Ask for Their Support

So, what can you do about this? Tell people what is happening in Albany, Georgia. If mainstream media won’t, I’m calling out main street media.

But I will ask this if you share this blog post, please share one of the links to below first. It is more important to share about how to help than this post. 

Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Response Volunteer Page asks for people aged 14 to volunteer and help. Get up a group of people and come to help. In Camilla, we had people working for months – so even if it is later in January — COME. I promise they’ll need you. MOBILIZE!

Share the live streams from Sherwood Baptist Church  – they are a source of information I trust and will tell you what you can do. As of this post, on January 6 and 7 they need bottled water at the old Coke plant at 925 Pine Avenue, Albany. They are giving it out to those in need who have NO WATER. (Please check the stream for current needs.)

Use the hashtag #prayforalbany and hope that we can make it trend to get mainstream media to DO THEIR JOB!

2 – Donate money to help

Not everyone can come. Support your favorite disaster relief organization, or I just spoke to my pastor, Michael Catt, and if you donate through my church and designate for disaster relief benevolence that 100% of your money will go to help.

People who care, share. We share the truth. We share things that matter. People matter.

Now, get out there and do something.

Is this the Only Tragedy We’re Not Hearing About?

And when you know the tragedy in your local area that is not reported, it is your responsibility to report on it and to tell people. You now have a new job in addition to all the other jobs you have.

You must make sure that what you share is true, accurate, but also that it is stuff that that truly matters. Because it seems the people who have that job right now are too busy filming reality DC than doing their real job.

#prayforalbany

Let me also be super clear. The people in South Georgia are working hard and coming together. But many people even here in South Georgia are still uninformed as to just what has happened. We are literally finding out more and more via Facebook daily and shocked to realize that this story isn’t being told except to each other on Facebook. I just see a stark contrast in how the media covered the three 2000 tornadoes in Camilla and the nine South Georgia had on Monday night. I find no valid explanation. 

The post How Mainstreet Media Steps Up When Mainstream Media Lets Us Down appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

from Cool Cat Teacher BlogCool Cat Teacher Blog http://www.coolcatteacher.com/how-mainstreet-media-steps-up-when-mainstream-media-lets-us-down/

[athena29stone]

How Mainstreet Media Steps Up When Mainstream Media Lets Us Down

What we can learn from the media's silence about the South Georgia Storm Disaster 2017

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Is it that we don’t have a dead baby in a ditch like we had in the Camilla tornadoes in 2000 to get people upset? Is that Albany Georgia’s tragedy is ignored? Or is it just that the news media is so busy covering reality DC that they don’t have time to report on a storm that left 8,000 homes without power and my Facebook sources tell me thousands of homes damaged. With 9 tornadoes – that’s right NINE TORNADOES and 3 thunderstorm wind events reported by the National Weather service, I’m at a loss trying to understand why this isn’t national news. Without power for days, we have cold weather coming, and many impoverished people are going to suffer greatly. But if you turn on your TV, I doubt many of you will hear about it. And this complete lack of reporting is a problem. In this blog post I’m going to share why this is a problem and what we can do to help the survivors in this growing disaster.

I’ve embedded a film below, but it is from Facebook and some of you may not be able to see it.

When I got up Tuesday morning, I turned on the news, and heard about “some storms.” Some traffic lights were out. I did not grasp the magnitude of what happened. People at school were talking about the tragedy, and I thought,

Surely, if it were that bad, the news would have reported it, and the national news would have picked it up.

Nope. Mainstream media is too busy covering reality DC these days to talk about what truly matters.

As we saw during the election, the media seemed to be too busy manipulating us to inform us about things that matter to use average everyday folks. They’d rather get us upset about something over which we have no control than tell us about something where we can actually help. And they’ve failed yet again.

But you know who hasn’t failed? Mainstreet media. That’s you and that’s me. And we CAN make mainstream media notice if we all bring awareness to this. In fact, I’m hearing that MOST people are hearing the depth of tragedy through Facebook and NOT the media. And the media wants to know why they’re irrelevant.

I’ve asked for photographs and stories and Mainstreet media has filled my inbox with the pictures I’m sharing as part of this post. Feel free to add yours. Also note, while I’m using the hashtag #prayforalbany there are many towns impacted. I’ve heard from Newton, Meigs, Leary, and Baconton about extensive damage. This is a storm disaster of massive proportions.

Why Media Coverage Matters

I learned the depth of the tragedy from my church Facebook page when I got home from school at 4pm Tuesday. That was when we started collecting water to respond to the desperate and growing need.

If we don’t know, we don’t go. It is that simple.

You see, I have personal experience with storms before. In 2000, Kip and I were head of the Mitchell County Volunteer Command Center. On February 14, 2000, three tornadoes ripped through my tiny hometown damaging over 200 homes. We also had a terrible loss of life and 28 people died. It was something none of us would ever want to relive. There are no fond memories. We only feel the pain. But, just like in Albany, the entire community pulled together to respond to that storm.

The second day in Camilla, a big truck from Alabama full of bulldozers and heavy equipment pulled up and said,

“Where do you need us. We’re here to help, but we’re not here to charge.”

Because of extensive national news coverage, there were people everywhere coming out to help. Random strangers just showed up, helped, and left. We didn’t even know all their names. They knew that there was a need. That is what average everyday Americans do — we show up to help our neighbors.

That is if we know they need help. I’ve never seen anyone show up for a disaster they didn’t know about first.

What I Saw When We Delivered Water in Albany

Well, yesterday I wanted my students and to be those random strangers who helped. We gave out flats of water in public housing projects near Hugh Mills Stadium in Albany.  To my surprise, I saw a tragedy that far exceeded the damage I saw in Camilla in 2000.

And I didn’t see one truck from the media. So, here’s our truck. My Mainstreet media friends and I are telling you what really is happening.

There are lots of trees down. But bigger than this, many people are without power. Many very impoverished homes have had refrigerators out since Monday and won’t have power for perhaps weeks.

Just because you don’t have a tree in your yard doesn’t mean the storm hasn’t upended your life.

Why Media Silence Hurts Good People When Tragedies Strike

Here’s the problem when the media ignores a tragedy:

If people don’t know, people don’t go.

If people don’t know, the money doesn’t show.

It people don’t know, it takes longer to get better.

In my experience, when dealing with a disaster – nothing makes it better. Your only hope is to help people get better, faster. That way, you don’t have people feeling hopeless, getting depressed, and acting out in their pain.

Simply put, you want to help as many people as possible get back their life as soon as possible.

How the News Media Is Letting Us Down

The city of Albany is mobilizing and helping itself. But, even here I heard a local news reporter joking that she hoped for snow on Saturday. I yelled at the TV,

You have people who have been without power since Monday, who are living in freezing cold apartments with children, and you’re wishing for snow?

The complete and utter inability of the media to share what’s important in this world anymore befuddles me.

There used to be a time when news reporters reported on what was important. Additionally, they felt they had a responsibility to speak the truth. Now, I think they’re more interested in reality DC than they are in speaking the truth about what’s happening out in America.

Well, average America needs a responsible media, and guess what. You and I now have a job we were never intended to play.

Now last night I tweeted all of the mainstream media and of course didn’t hear a tweet back. I mean for all they know I’m just a random person with 134,000 Twitter followers.

My life was not made better last night when they went in and re-shared the live stream of the abuse of a special needs boy by four people. I can do nothing about what happened but be shocked and upset. Instead, why didn’t they share about the damage in Albany, Georgia and how they need help? The cold is coming and people are still without power.

Obviously, I can’t do anything about mainstream media, but I can do something about main street media. I can because I’m part of it.

Who am I? I’m a small town schoolteacher who some people read. And the people who read my blog aren’t just slacktivists; I attract ACTIVISTS. I attract people who DO SOMETHING to make the world a better place. We don’t whine about it; we do something about it.

So, let’s get busy.

Calling Out Main Street Media

So, dear reader, I now dub you, “mainstreet media.” You have a job to do. Go out there and tell people about this tragedy that has happened and how they can help. And then volunteer and do what you can.

1 – Tell People About the Tragedy And Ask for Their Support

So, what can you do about this? Tell people what is happening in Albany, Georgia. If mainstream media won’t, I’m calling out main street media.

But I will ask this if you share this blog post, please share one of the links to below first. It is more important to share about how to help than this post. 

Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Response Volunteer Page asks for people aged 14 to volunteer and help. Get up a group of people and come to help. In Camilla, we had people working for months – so even if it is later in January — COME. I promise they’ll need you. MOBILIZE!

Share the live streams from Sherwood Baptist Church  – they are a source of information I trust and will tell you what you can do. As of this post, on January 6 and 7 they need bottled water at the old Coke plant at 925 Pine Avenue, Albany. They are giving it out to those in need who have NO WATER. (Please check the stream for current needs.)

Use the hashtag #prayforalbany and hope that we can make it trend to get mainstream media to DO THEIR JOB!

2 – Donate money to help

Not everyone can come. Support your favorite disaster relief organization, or I just spoke to my pastor, Michael Catt, and if you donate through my church and designate for disaster relief benevolence that 100% of your money will go to help.

People who care, share. We share the truth. We share things that matter. People matter.

Now, get out there and do something.

Is this the Only Tragedy We’re Not Hearing About?

And when you know the tragedy in your local area that is not reported, it is your responsibility to report on it and to tell people. You now have a new job in addition to all the other jobs you have.

You must make sure that what you share is true, accurate, but also that it is stuff that that truly matters. Because it seems the people who have that job right now are too busy filming reality DC than doing their real job.

#prayforalbany

Let me also be super clear. The people in South Georgia are working hard and coming together. But many people even here in South Georgia are still uninformed as to just what has happened. We are literally finding out more and more via Facebook daily and shocked to realize that this story isn’t being told except to each other on Facebook. I just see a stark contrast in how the media covered the three 2000 tornadoes in Camilla and the nine South Georgia had on Monday night. I find no valid explanation. 

The post How Mainstreet Media Steps Up When Mainstream Media Lets Us Down appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

from Cool Cat Teacher BlogCool Cat Teacher Blog http://www.coolcatteacher.com/how-mainstreet-media-steps-up-when-mainstream-media-lets-us-down/

[patriciaanderson357-blog]

How Mainstreet Media Steps Up When Mainstream Media Lets Us Down

What we can learn from the media's silence about the South Georgia Storm Disaster 2017

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Is it that we don’t have a dead baby in a ditch like we had in the Camilla tornadoes in 2000 to get people upset? Is that Albany Georgia’s tragedy is ignored? Or is it just that the news media is so busy covering reality DC that they don’t have time to report on a storm that left 8,000 homes without power and my Facebook sources tell me thousands of homes damaged. With 9 tornadoes – that’s right NINE TORNADOES and 3 thunderstorm wind events reported by the National Weather service, I’m at a loss trying to understand why this isn’t national news. Without power for days, we have cold weather coming, and many impoverished people are going to suffer greatly. But if you turn on your TV, I doubt many of you will hear about it. And this complete lack of reporting is a problem. In this blog post I’m going to share why this is a problem and what we can do to help the survivors in this growing disaster.

I’ve embedded a film below, but it is from Facebook and some of you may not be able to see it.

When I got up Tuesday morning, I turned on the news, and heard about “some storms.” Some traffic lights were out. I did not grasp the magnitude of what happened. People at school were talking about the tragedy, and I thought,

Surely, if it were that bad, the news would have reported it, and the national news would have picked it up.

Nope. Mainstream media is too busy covering reality DC these days to talk about what truly matters.

As we saw during the election, the media seemed to be too busy manipulating us to inform us about things that matter to use average everyday folks. They’d rather get us upset about something over which we have no control than tell us about something where we can actually help. And they’ve failed yet again.

But you know who hasn’t failed? Mainstreet media. That’s you and that’s me. And we CAN make mainstream media notice if we all bring awareness to this. In fact, I’m hearing that MOST people are hearing the depth of tragedy through Facebook and NOT the media. And the media wants to know why they’re irrelevant.

I’ve asked for photographs and stories and Mainstreet media has filled my inbox with the pictures I’m sharing as part of this post. Feel free to add yours. Also note, while I’m using the hashtag #prayforalbany there are many towns impacted. I’ve heard from Newton, Meigs, Leary, and Baconton about extensive damage. This is a storm disaster of massive proportions.

Why Media Coverage Matters

I learned the depth of the tragedy from my church Facebook page when I got home from school at 4pm Tuesday. That was when we started collecting water to respond to the desperate and growing need.

If we don’t know, we don’t go. It is that simple.

You see, I have personal experience with storms before. In 2000, Kip and I were head of the Mitchell County Volunteer Command Center. On February 14, 2000, three tornadoes ripped through my tiny hometown damaging over 200 homes. We also had a terrible loss of life and 28 people died. It was something none of us would ever want to relive. There are no fond memories. We only feel the pain. But, just like in Albany, the entire community pulled together to respond to that storm.

The second day in Camilla, a big truck from Alabama full of bulldozers and heavy equipment pulled up and said,

“Where do you need us. We’re here to help, but we’re not here to charge.”

Because of extensive national news coverage, there were people everywhere coming out to help. Random strangers just showed up, helped, and left. We didn’t even know all their names. They knew that there was a need. That is what average everyday Americans do — we show up to help our neighbors.

That is if we know they need help. I’ve never seen anyone show up for a disaster they didn’t know about first.

What I Saw When We Delivered Water in Albany

Well, yesterday I wanted my students and to be those random strangers who helped. We gave out flats of water in public housing projects near Hugh Mills Stadium in Albany.  To my surprise, I saw a tragedy that far exceeded the damage I saw in Camilla in 2000.

And I didn’t see one truck from the media. So, here’s our truck. My Mainstreet media friends and I are telling you what really is happening.

There are lots of trees down. But bigger than this, many people are without power. Many very impoverished homes have had refrigerators out since Monday and won’t have power for perhaps weeks.

Just because you don’t have a tree in your yard doesn’t mean the storm hasn’t upended your life.

Why Media Silence Hurts Good People When Tragedies Strike

Here’s the problem when the media ignores a tragedy:

If people don’t know, people don’t go.

If people don’t know, the money doesn’t show.

It people don’t know, it takes longer to get better.

In my experience, when dealing with a disaster – nothing makes it better. Your only hope is to help people get better, faster. That way, you don’t have people feeling hopeless, getting depressed, and acting out in their pain.

Simply put, you want to help as many people as possible get back their life as soon as possible.

How the News Media Is Letting Us Down

The city of Albany is mobilizing and helping itself. But, even here I heard a local news reporter joking that she hoped for snow on Saturday. I yelled at the TV,

You have people who have been without power since Monday, who are living in freezing cold apartments with children, and you’re wishing for snow?

The complete and utter inability of the media to share what’s important in this world anymore befuddles me.

There used to be a time when news reporters reported on what was important. Additionally, they felt they had a responsibility to speak the truth. Now, I think they’re more interested in reality DC than they are in speaking the truth about what’s happening out in America.

Well, average America needs a responsible media, and guess what. You and I now have a job we were never intended to play.

Now last night I tweeted all of the mainstream media and of course didn’t hear a tweet back. I mean for all they know I’m just a random person with 134,000 Twitter followers.

My life was not made better last night when they went in and re-shared the live stream of the abuse of a special needs boy by four people. I can do nothing about what happened but be shocked and upset. Instead, why didn’t they share about the damage in Albany, Georgia and how they need help? The cold is coming and people are still without power.

Obviously, I can’t do anything about mainstream media, but I can do something about main street media. I can because I’m part of it.

Who am I? I’m a small town schoolteacher who some people read. And the people who read my blog aren’t just slacktivists; I attract ACTIVISTS. I attract people who DO SOMETHING to make the world a better place. We don’t whine about it; we do something about it.

So, let’s get busy.

Calling Out Main Street Media

So, dear reader, I now dub you, “mainstreet media.” You have a job to do. Go out there and tell people about this tragedy that has happened and how they can help. And then volunteer and do what you can.

1 – Tell People About the Tragedy And Ask for Their Support

So, what can you do about this? Tell people what is happening in Albany, Georgia. If mainstream media won’t, I’m calling out main street media.

But I will ask this if you share this blog post, please share one of the links to below first. It is more important to share about how to help than this post. 

Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Response Volunteer Page asks for people aged 14 to volunteer and help. Get up a group of people and come to help. In Camilla, we had people working for months – so even if it is later in January — COME. I promise they’ll need you. MOBILIZE!

Share the live streams from Sherwood Baptist Church  – they are a source of information I trust and will tell you what you can do. As of this post, on January 6 and 7 they need bottled water at the old Coke plant at 925 Pine Avenue, Albany. They are giving it out to those in need who have NO WATER. (Please check the stream for current needs.)

Use the hashtag #prayforalbany and hope that we can make it trend to get mainstream media to DO THEIR JOB!

2 – Donate money to help

Not everyone can come. Support your favorite disaster relief organization, or I just spoke to my pastor, Michael Catt, and if you donate through my church and designate for disaster relief benevolence that 100% of your money will go to help.

People who care, share. We share the truth. We share things that matter. People matter.

Now, get out there and do something.

Is this the Only Tragedy We’re Not Hearing About?

And when you know the tragedy in your local area that is not reported, it is your responsibility to report on it and to tell people. You now have a new job in addition to all the other jobs you have.

You must make sure that what you share is true, accurate, but also that it is stuff that that truly matters. Because it seems the people who have that job right now are too busy filming reality DC than doing their real job.

#prayforalbany

Let me also be super clear. The people in South Georgia are working hard and coming together. But many people even here in South Georgia are still uninformed as to just what has happened. We are literally finding out more and more via Facebook daily and shocked to realize that this story isn’t being told except to each other on Facebook. I just see a stark contrast in how the media covered the three 2000 tornadoes in Camilla and the nine South Georgia had on Monday night. I find no valid explanation. 

The post How Mainstreet Media Steps Up When Mainstream Media Lets Us Down appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

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How Mainstreet Media Steps Up When Mainstream Media Lets Us Down

What we can learn from the media's silence about the South Georgia Storm Disaster 2017

From the Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis

Follow @coolcatteacher on Twitter

Is it that we don’t have a dead baby in a ditch like we had in the Camilla tornadoes in 2000 to get people upset? Is that Albany Georgia’s tragedy is ignored? Or is it just that the news media is so busy covering reality DC that they don’t have time to report on a storm that left 8,000 homes without power and my Facebook sources tell me thousands of homes damaged. With 9 tornadoes – that’s right NINE TORNADOES and 3 thunderstorm wind events reported by the National Weather service, I’m at a loss trying to understand why this isn’t national news. Without power for days, we have cold weather coming, and many impoverished people are going to suffer greatly. But if you turn on your TV, I doubt many of you will hear about it. And this complete lack of reporting is a problem. In this blog post I’m going to share why this is a problem and what we can do to help the survivors in this growing disaster.

I’ve embedded a film below, but it is from Facebook and some of you may not be able to see it.

When I got up Tuesday morning, I turned on the news, and heard about “some storms.” Some traffic lights were out. I did not grasp the magnitude of what happened. People at school were talking about the tragedy, and I thought,

Surely, if it were that bad, the news would have reported it, and the national news would have picked it up.

Nope. Mainstream media is too busy covering reality DC these days to talk about what truly matters.

As we saw during the election, the media seemed to be too busy manipulating us to inform us about things that matter to use average everyday folks. They’d rather get us upset about something over which we have no control than tell us about something where we can actually help. And they’ve failed yet again.

But you know who hasn’t failed? Mainstreet media. That’s you and that’s me. And we CAN make mainstream media notice if we all bring awareness to this. In fact, I’m hearing that MOST people are hearing the depth of tragedy through Facebook and NOT the media. And the media wants to know why they’re irrelevant.

I’ve asked for photographs and stories and Mainstreet media has filled my inbox with the pictures I’m sharing as part of this post. Feel free to add yours. Also note, while I’m using the hashtag #prayforalbany there are many towns impacted. I’ve heard from Newton, Meigs, Leary, and Baconton about extensive damage. This is a storm disaster of massive proportions.

Why Media Coverage Matters

I learned the depth of the tragedy from my church Facebook page when I got home from school at 4pm Tuesday. That was when we started collecting water to respond to the desperate and growing need.

If we don’t know, we don’t go. It is that simple.

You see, I have personal experience with storms before. In 2000, Kip and I were head of the Mitchell County Volunteer Command Center. On February 14, 2000, three tornadoes ripped through my tiny hometown damaging over 200 homes. We also had a terrible loss of life and 28 people died. It was something none of us would ever want to relive. There are no fond memories. We only feel the pain. But, just like in Albany, the entire community pulled together to respond to that storm.

The second day in Camilla, a big truck from Alabama full of bulldozers and heavy equipment pulled up and said,

“Where do you need us. We’re here to help, but we’re not here to charge.”

Because of extensive national news coverage, there were people everywhere coming out to help. Random strangers just showed up, helped, and left. We didn’t even know all their names. They knew that there was a need. That is what average everyday Americans do — we show up to help our neighbors.

That is if we know they need help. I’ve never seen anyone show up for a disaster they didn’t know about first.

What I Saw When We Delivered Water in Albany

Well, yesterday I wanted my students and to be those random strangers who helped. We gave out flats of water in public housing projects near Hugh Mills Stadium in Albany.  To my surprise, I saw a tragedy that far exceeded the damage I saw in Camilla in 2000.

And I didn’t see one truck from the media. So, here’s our truck. My Mainstreet media friends and I are telling you what really is happening.

There are lots of trees down. But bigger than this, many people are without power. Many very impoverished homes have had refrigerators out since Monday and won’t have power for perhaps weeks.

Just because you don’t have a tree in your yard doesn’t mean the storm hasn’t upended your life.

Why Media Silence Hurts Good People When Tragedies Strike

Here’s the problem when the media ignores a tragedy:

If people don’t know, people don’t go.

If people don’t know, the money doesn’t show.

It people don’t know, it takes longer to get better.

In my experience, when dealing with a disaster – nothing makes it better. Your only hope is to help people get better, faster. That way, you don’t have people feeling hopeless, getting depressed, and acting out in their pain.

Simply put, you want to help as many people as possible get back their life as soon as possible.

How the News Media Is Letting Us Down

The city of Albany is mobilizing and helping itself. But, even here I heard a local news reporter joking that she hoped for snow on Saturday. I yelled at the TV,

You have people who have been without power since Monday, who are living in freezing cold apartments with children, and you’re wishing for snow?

The complete and utter inability of the media to share what’s important in this world anymore befuddles me.

There used to be a time when news reporters reported on what was important. Additionally, they felt they had a responsibility to speak the truth. Now, I think they’re more interested in reality DC than they are in speaking the truth about what’s happening out in America.

Well, average America needs a responsible media, and guess what. You and I now have a job we were never intended to play.

Now last night I tweeted all of the mainstream media and of course didn’t hear a tweet back. I mean for all they know I’m just a random person with 134,000 Twitter followers.

My life was not made better last night when they went in and re-shared the live stream of the abuse of a special needs boy by four people. I can do nothing about what happened but be shocked and upset. Instead, why didn’t they share about the damage in Albany, Georgia and how they need help? The cold is coming and people are still without power.

Obviously, I can’t do anything about mainstream media, but I can do something about main street media. I can because I’m part of it.

Who am I? I’m a small town schoolteacher who some people read. And the people who read my blog aren’t just slacktivists; I attract ACTIVISTS. I attract people who DO SOMETHING to make the world a better place. We don’t whine about it; we do something about it.

So, let’s get busy.

Calling Out Main Street Media

So, dear reader, I now dub you, “mainstreet media.” You have a job to do. Go out there and tell people about this tragedy that has happened and how they can help. And then volunteer and do what you can.

1 – Tell People About the Tragedy And Ask for Their Support

So, what can you do about this? Tell people what is happening in Albany, Georgia. If mainstream media won’t, I’m calling out main street media.

But I will ask this if you share this blog post, please share one of the links to below first. It is more important to share about how to help than this post. 

Samaritan’s Purse Disaster Response Volunteer Page asks for people aged 14 to volunteer and help. Get up a group of people and come to help. In Camilla, we had people working for months – so even if it is later in January — COME. I promise they’ll need you. MOBILIZE!

Share the live streams from Sherwood Baptist Church  – they are a source of information I trust and will tell you what you can do. As of this post, on January 6 and 7 they need bottled water at the old Coke plant at 925 Pine Avenue, Albany. They are giving it out to those in need who have NO WATER. (Please check the stream for current needs.)

Use the hashtag #prayforalbany and hope that we can make it trend to get mainstream media to DO THEIR JOB!

2 – Donate money to help

Not everyone can come. Support your favorite disaster relief organization, or I just spoke to my pastor, Michael Catt, and if you donate through my church and designate for disaster relief benevolence that 100% of your money will go to help.

People who care, share. We share the truth. We share things that matter. People matter.

Now, get out there and do something.

Is this the Only Tragedy We’re Not Hearing About?

And when you know the tragedy in your local area that is not reported, it is your responsibility to report on it and to tell people. You now have a new job in addition to all the other jobs you have.

You must make sure that what you share is true, accurate, but also that it is stuff that that truly matters. Because it seems the people who have that job right now are too busy filming reality DC than doing their real job.

#prayforalbany

Let me also be super clear. The people in South Georgia are working hard and coming together. But many people even here in South Georgia are still uninformed as to just what has happened. We are literally finding out more and more via Facebook daily and shocked to realize that this story isn’t being told except to each other on Facebook. I just see a stark contrast in how the media covered the three 2000 tornadoes in Camilla and the nine South Georgia had on Monday night. I find no valid explanation. 

The post How Mainstreet Media Steps Up When Mainstream Media Lets Us Down appeared first on Cool Cat Teacher Blog by Vicki Davis @coolcatteacher helping educators be excellent every day. Meow!

from Cool Cat Teacher BlogCool Cat Teacher Blog http://www.coolcatteacher.com/how-mainstreet-media-steps-up-when-mainstream-media-lets-us-down/