Monday Meeting: April 27th; Part II

Omar: wow, sabir, you sure are asking me a lot of questions
this brings us to

10 QUESTIONS

so if this goes well, Sabir and I will do this on a weekly basis
we each have 5 questions to ask each other
that have to do with geek culture and personal taste
so who should go first?

Sabir: why don't we alternate questions?
I'll start
Which superhero costume do you think would best accentuate your physical features?

Omar: haha at first I read "superhero" and I was going to ask "like if we were a couple"
hmm
Oh, duh
Miss Marvel

Sabir: hahaha

Omar: or Power Girl haha

Sabir: I've got this hilarious image in my head

Omar: who designed Power Girl's outfit

Sabir: I can't stop laughing
I have no idea

Omar: hahaha ah im glad
so my first question is in the same toe

1. It's WonderCon 2010, you are wearing your favorite female comic character costume. What is it?

Sabir: Poison Ivy

Omar: way to ruin that image! thans man
fucker

Sabir: haha sorry
Oh, I completely forgot!

Omar: my entire libido is just...shot now

Sabir: There was a poison ivy at wondercon a few years back
and I got her number

Omar: it was last year
you cheated!
you were her student

Sabir: was that really...wow, you're right

Omar: you sick bastard

Sabir: it was only a year ago
hey man, don't hate the player, hate the game

Omar: what game? what player?
anyhow, your question sir

Sabir: it's rated M for mature
anyway, my next question

2. If you could have a threesome with any fictional character couple, which character couple would it be?

Omar: Scarlet Witch and her robot lover
haha no no
lets see

Sabir: hahahahaha

Omar: Batman and Robin

Sabir: ooooh

Omar: haha my girlfriend answered that when I asked her

Sabir: that's just wrong

Omar: in reality though
OH FUCK
the two Psylockes
both bodies

Sabir: hahahahaha
I love that answer

Omar: English and Asian baby
or Ollie and Black Canary
cause I think they're a kick ass couple
Ollie reminds me of Kevin Smith
and if I ever have a threesome
it's gonna be with someone from the original Clerks

Sabir: if you ever have a threesome again, you mean
clearly you're forgetting san diego

Omar: OH FUCK
yeah
shit
that did happen
jeez
so much duct tape
2. you know that thing that happened to aquaman where his hand got cut off and now he has a water hand? yeah, something similar happened to you and now you can piss any liquid you want in any color. what and why?

Sabir: I'd piss that blue gatorade all over people's faces, because it looks extreme
and it's always been a fantasy of mine

Omar: haha
thats
thats really odd
gatorade?

Sabir: you don't remember those commercials where Michael Jordan is competing with Mia Hamm?
that was epic

Omar: oh yeah!
I remember that

Sabir: oh, wait, I think that might have been a Nike commercial
whateve
and now for your question
If you had the opportunity to have one superhuman power, but it would only be active when you’re in bed, which power would you choose?

Omar: flight
haha worst answer ever

Sabir: hahaha

Omar: haha no no my skin would turn to diamond
but realistically

Sabir: ouch

Omar: human torch's power
here's my reasoning
you could heat up your... okay this would get a bit graphic but you could kill your sperm
so it'd be...uh...preventive...
no that was a horrible answer as well

Sabir: I never thought of that

Omar: that is a great question
damn

Sabir: no wonder Johnny Storm is such a playboy

Omar: oh I would have Wolverine
Wolverine's power
to heal
I figure that'd inhance stamina
and if you get in danger
you just start jerking off
"fuck, I broke my arm. Well... I know what I have now have to do"

Sabir: hahahahaha

Omar: thats my answer

Sabir: I finally understand why wolverine's so popular

Omar: hahaha
telepathy says mia, cause it'd help communicate between the lovers
I still think I'd rub one out if I scraped my knee

Sabir: hahahaha

Omar: 3. let's take night crawler's extra dick and put it on another marvel character. which one and why

Sabir: Rogue.

Omar: oooh
thats...
thats troubling

Sabir: because we all know what Gambit really likes

Omar: hahahahaha im not gonna lie
I had no suspision of that
but now that I think about Archangel's origins
it all makes sense

Sabir: I mean, Gambit can't go two seconds without whipping out that pole

Omar: ah I now see what you're saying

Sabir: also, it would be tragic for Rogue to have it because she can't, well, you know

Omar: oh wow...
this is just a hard situation, all around
haha ah I am so good with puns

Sabir: hahaha
okay, my turn
If you could have any comic artist draw you, who would you
choose?

Omar: Jim Lee, I've always wanted a chest bigger than my tv

Sabir: hahaha
then perhaps you should choose Rob Liefeld

Omar: hahaha
hmm
what artist
you know what
my boy Adrian
he's just so good

Sabir: he really is

Omar: 4. kill, marry, fornicate? miss havisham, clayface, Bilbo Baggins

Sabir: haha Oh God
let's see
kill miss havisham
fornicate Bilbo Baggins
and marry clayface
I can't believe I just said that

Omar: hahahahaha
poor Havisham!
all she wanted was a wedding!

Sabir: I hated that book

Omar: this is revealing
you hate old women
that live in wedding dresses
and play knaves

Sabir: damn right

Omar: haha those are good answers tho
clayface needs some structure in his life
bam! went in for a second play on words

Sabir: hahaha
you're on a roll today

Omar: damn, if we were playing beer pong i'd be heating up
lets see if i can hat trick it like the sharks

Sabir: did they win today?

Omar: Yahoo didnt update my phone
I'm gonna look it up after this
btw, I'm gonna put this in a separate blog post cause this is a post-of-fun on its own

Sabir: okay
and my last question for you
your house burns down and a male fictional character offers for you to crash at his place for a while
which character do you stay with and why?

Omar: Northstar
nuff said

Sabir: hahaha
indeed
Canadians are very hospitable people

Omar: haha no to be completely honest
lets put all the civl war stuff aside
and lets forget who's a skrull and who's... not
Tony Stark
we'd freaking party it UP
who else has a mansion

Sabir: I've heard about Stark's parties

Omar: oh wait is this of all fiction?

Sabir: yes
all fiction

Omar: hmmm
Sherlock Holmes and I would do opium
but he has O.C.D.
Beowulf knows how to have fun

Sabir: all good answers

Omar: I just reviewed all my fictional literature knowledge

Sabir: Holmes would get on my nerves though

Omar: either Gatsby or Tony Stark
who I suspect are the same person!
you know who's house I would never stay at
she's also not a male fictional character
the protagonist from house on mango street
that would be the worst house ever
and there would be no grammar in that house

Sabir: hahahaha
I completely forgot about that book

Omar: ugh
just curious, whats your answer to your question?

Sabir: hmmm
I think I'd stay with Doug Funnie
that's a guy who knows how to stay out of trouble and have fun

Omar: you guys could go hunting for Nematodes

Sabir: and watch the Beets play live

Omar: how about Robin Williams from flubber?
I just want flubber

Sabir: God, no

Omar: I would jump everywhere

Sabir: how annoying would that be

Omar: EVERYWHERE
alright, my last question
5. this is a three part question: its disney's freaky friday and you just woke up in Jonah Hex's body. a- what would you do? b- what would Jonah Hex do in your body? c- what big lesson would you learn to break the spell?

Sabir: well, I'm not that familiar with Jonah Hex, but I'll try my best
a- I'd go from bar to bar sneering at people
b- he'd try to hit on all the ladies with my fabulous looks
c- I'd learn that even ugly people have feelings

Omar: hahahahahaha
great c answer

Sabir: does that work? Sorry, I wish I knew more about Jonah Hex so I could give a more comprehensive answer

Omar: I think that's perfect
well we've bantered enough

Sabir: Yeah

Omar: I think we can let these folk get some rest
thank you so much for reading our blog posts
we really really REALLY appreciate it

Sabir: definitely
and if you can't get enough of us
be sure to check us out at midnightepiphany.blogspot.com
where Omar and I both post frequently

Omar: and debate frequently as well

Sabir: and argue semantics in the comments section constantly
haha yeah

Omar: haha
well have a great week everyone

Sabir: Stay classy

Again, thank you for keeping up with the blog posts and we both hope you enjoy the first issue of The Talented

Monday Meeting: April 27th; Part I

Omar: hey everyone and welcome to this week's Monday Meeting!
As always, I'm Omar Najam and I'm here with Sabir Pirzada
how ya doin', Sabir?
Sabir?
Well folks, for the first time in Monday Meetings
I'm goign to have to play both parts
so here goes
how ya doin', Sabir?
Sabir: I'm doing quite alright, just got back from the stables
Omar: I didn't know you ride!
Sabir: Yeah, I actually have medals

Sabir: it's not a big deal, though

Omar: Sabir Pirzada, everybody!!

Sabir: I take it you've been doing well, Omar?
no... unplanned illnesses plaguing you in santa barbara?

Omar: no swine flu
BUT something is blowing through town
a kinda fever
Improv fever
yeah, we actually made the news

Sabir: you're always catching the headlines

Omar: yup yup yup
so hopefully I can hawk the comic through this 15 minutes of fame
I'll post the link in this blog though, it's a pretty funny news story

Sabir: Looking forward to seeing it

Omar: and whats new with yous?

Sabir: not a whole lot, I've just been trying to stay on top of classes and writing
I am very close to finishing my first novel, so I'm burning the candle at both ends on my computer these days

Omar: hows that coming?

Sabir: oh, it's all crap
but at least it'll be done soon and I can polish it from crap to something better than crap
I hope this is the process that every writer goes through...

Omar: I've heard t.s. elliot say the exact same thing

Sabir: oh, so I'm in good company, I suppose

Omar: haha
your novel has chapters in it?

Sabir: yes, most of which are sexual puns

Omar: that brings us to our next segment

THIS WEEK'S CHAPTER

Sabir: haha that was brilliant

Omar: so before we get to the last page talk, any comments about this last chapter of our first issue

Sabir: not specific to the story, but I just want to point out that Adrian really did an amazing job on these pages
you can see how he crafted a whole setting and kept track of where every character moved through all the panels without making anything seem difficult to follow

Omar: he truly did

Sabir: it's really great work, from the facial expressions to the action to the angles he chose
it all works
Is there anything you want to say about this chapter?

Omar: we asked a lot of our readers when it came to action pacing
and i personally believe these pages really make it worth the wait

Sabir: absolutely

Omar: we blow up a fucking building

Sabir: not that The Talented is really about action
it's more about conflict, but sometimes that conflict is physical

Omar: exactly

Sabir: and makes for an exciting read

Omar: we want to stimulate with our characters, narrative, and buildings
which brings us to our next segment

THE LAST PAGE

the last page is a little confusing

Sabir: yes, to be honest, I don't think it came out the way we imagined it to
the original idea was that Patrick's narrative throughout the issue would be physically cut off when Sage burns his journal
but I think the way it was scripted might not have been the most clear way to tell what's going on
it's also a bit too cliche for my tastes
with the zooming in on the principal villain's eyes

Omar: maybe we should have had the whole page in flames
to portray the diary being burned

Sabir: yeah, that would have been cool

Omar: but here's what happens in the last page
the whole issue is Patrick's diary
and you get to the last page where we finally step out of Patrick's diary
we are in the future where Sage is burning Patrick's library
how we got there, you'll have to read
but there's one thing we do know: Sage is now in a position to change the world to fit his image
and we're all in big. trouble.

Sabir: yeah, we kind of jump to a real epic moment at the end
and the next part of the story is all about how we got there

Omar: the last page is a very very important part of our story but its a few issues in the future

Sabir: leading up the last part of the story, which is, what happens next?
what happens if Sage succeeds? Is that a happy ending or a tragedy?
and to quote perhaps the best comic ever
"nothing ever ends"

Omar: haha

Sabir: as that naked blue guy would say

Omar: hahaha
dammit
sage is Adrian Veidt
and Kerri is Silke Spectre
and Brian is Night Owl

Sabir: Oh, I like where this is going

Omar: and uh... Reynolds is the Comedian
and...
I just want to say it before the critics
so I can say that that's not at all the case

Sabir: hahaha

Omar: our first issue introduces the characters and gets the story started
once we start the wheels rolling....damn... we have some surprises in store for our fair readers
which brings us to our next section

THE FUTURE OF THE TALENTED

so Sabir, what is the future of the Talented

Sabir: that's a good question, Omar
it's something that's a bit... uncertain at the moment
as of now, we have a full, double-sized first issue complete
and will soon be submitting The Talented to every publisher with an address
when we get a publishing deal, we'll be up and running again with brand new content, picking up right where we left off
in the meantime, we've got a few surprises in store for readers who want to keep up with us in the interim
Does that about cover the future of The Talented, Omar?

Omar: I'd say so
we're kinda just sitting on our hands
but between Sabir and myself we have just about fifty side projects
and Adrian and Ben are busy bees, 24/7

Sabir: Haha that's actually not much of an exaggeration

Omar: haha not at all
Oh! one of my videos made it to the IVDV digital video festival
and I just started a new blog

Sabir: Oh, wow! Congrats man

Omar: thank you thank you

Sabir: that's really great news!

Omar: thank you very much
I'll post it in about a week after the festival

Sabir: I assume you will provide us with a link to your new blog?
great

Omar: once I get my first post up I will
its going to be fake film posters and synopses
as well as actual fake trailers
I will be inviting you as a contributor of course, Sabir

Sabir: Sounds like a lot of fun

Omar: the first movie is going to be called "The Athiest"

Sabir: and what genre would you put that in?

Omar: its a horror movie
haha

Sabir: haha nice
Looking forward to it

Omar: mel gisbon plays a priest

to be continued in PART II

Monday Meeting April 20

Apologies for the delay on the monday meeting. Last week we tried to get something together but technical difficulties kept getting in the way.

Apologies aside, here is our monday meeting for this week

Sabir: Hello and welcome to our Monday Meeting

I am Sabir Pirzada, co-writer of The Talented

and with me, as always is Omar Najam

also co-writer of The Talented

How are you, Omar?

Omar: I'm doing quite well, how about yourself, Sabir?

Sabir: A little busier than I'd like, but otherwise pretty well

So what happened to the Monday Meeting last week?

Omar: I was sick as shit

last weekend I was at Fracas, an improvisation conference

6 hours of work shop and then 6 hours of improv takes a toll and a half on ya

Sabir: whoa

well, at least your improv skills improved

And you're all better now?

Omar: oh I'm feeling back to usual and I met some nice folk, Oscar from the Office and Junior from Reno 911

so everyone wins

Sabir: Oh, that must have been fun

So, anyway, on to The Talented

We're on chapter...7 now?

Omar: yes, I believe so

Sabir: Is there anything you want to bring the readers' attention to, either in chapter 6 or chapter 7?

Omar: well these chapters are fun because we've built up so much background and story pace up until these chapters

its the demon fight of the end of an episode of Buffy

you just need those twists and kicks to punch up the story

and our last page of this chapter

page 38

if you look at it alone its great post modern stuff, man

your views on these two chapters?

Sabir: I like these two chapters in particular because the pace quickens here

and we finally get to the action, which is really beautifully drawn

This is where, after introducing the characters individually, we get to see them all interacting together, and the results are explosive

Omar: haha oh...explosive

literally

a building explodes

Sabir: Yeah

I love that page

Omar: parents, don't leave your grenade belts just sitting around

Sabir: Is there anything you want to say about chapter 8, coming up in just a few days?

Omar: haha uh yeah

its the end of our issue

and you see where Patrick's diary is going

it might surprise you

it gives you a few answers and leaves you with a few questions

just like LOST

how about you, Sabir?

Sabir: I think you about covered it. I would just add that things are put in their places for the rest of the story, and it only gets better from here

Omar: it has a similar structure to the first issue of Heroes if I'm not mistaken

where you meet the characters and these short stories

Sabir: First episode, you mean?

Omar: and then bam! New York is all crazy and some crazy guys are fighting some really moral guys

except we have no New York

haha total random thought

Sabir: haha

Omar: ignore it, it's not first season of Heroes

Sabir: Let's just hope we can maintain our level of quality storytelling, unlike some writers...

Omar: haha you're so sore about Rebirth

Sabir: Well, the art was good...

Omar: speaking of rebirth, I was listening to Sonique just now

I had totally forgot how bomb-ass her song is

Sabir: I don't believe I've heard it

Omar: "It Feels So Good"?

Sabir: I shall youtube it soon

Omar: oh its fantastic stuff

Sabir: To finish up here, what's next on your reading list, Omar?

or, more accurately, reading pile

Omar: as of right now I'm reading Anansi Boys

by Neil the homerun king Gaiman

and I'm loving it because I actually studied creole folktale last quarter so

jackpot

Sabir: Nice

Omar: and in terms of comics, I have to wait till I get back to my dealer at home

but I'm trying my best to catch up with Angel: After the Fall

oh and I am waiting with bated breath for this week's Dollhouse

this last week without an episode was hell

how about you, Sabir?

Sabir: On my reading pile, I hope to be able to read "The Escapists" soon

as a follow-up to "The amazing adventures of Kavalier and Clay"

and then, hopefully, get started on Y: The Last Man

Omar: oh that's a classic. I'm almost legally addicted to that run

Sabir: As far as TV goes, I've just started watching Eastbound and Down, which is hilarious so far

Omar: I've heard good things

Sabir: It's really the story of my life

you would like it

Omar: does it have Friday prayer in it?

Sabir: not yet, but I've only seen 2 episodes

Omar: pick it up, episode 3!

dont let us down

Sabir: Well, I think that's enough rambling for one week

any last thoughts?

Omar: if you like these ramblings be on the look out starting next week for Conversations with Anon

it's a new blog project I'm working on

other than that, I hope everyone had a wonderful 4.20

sabir?

Sabir: Umm... Buy Kick-Ass #6 in your Local Comic Store this wednesday

That's all I got

Take Care, everyone

Omar: Have a great week!

Thursday Theory: April 15th

In the wake of tax day, it is time to continue the discussion of the theories and theorists mentioned in Talented. In the last post I foreshadowed the presence of Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel and in all summarizing and bastardized glory, here is Hegel's model of thesis/antithesis/synthesis in one hundreth of the time it deserves:

Any thought or ideological statement put forth is to be considered a THESIS. From this, an opposing thought, ideological statement or ANTITHESIS butts heads with with the THESIS. These two titans clashing into each other results in a SYNTHESIS. And for this horrible bone-dry description of Hegel's dialectical approach, here's an example of a conversation I had that should follow just in toe: thesis- Bill O'Reilly is an idiot, he knows nothing. antithesis- Bill O'Reilly is probably a pretty smart guy, he went to Harvard. synthesis- Bill O'Reilly is a smart man that allows his strong emotions and ego to bring him to insane conclusions about the world.

But the fun doesn't stop there, kids. After the synthesis has formed, it stands as a thought or ideological statement. Wait...that sounds familiar, does that mean- yes, it does mean that the synthesis then becomes a thesis. Which means that the thesis then goes against another antithesis and arrive at a new synthesis and this keeps on growing and growing until we reach some sort of Marxist god-like knowledge. Our conclusion about Papa Bear O'Reilly can be negated and a new conclusion is to be formed. And on and on until we either know everything about O'Reilly or wonder why we even give a crap about some Harvard douchebag with an anger management problem (which can all be shortened into "Harvard grad", actually).

If you would like an in depth view of Hegel, feel free to email us and we can refer you to German philosophers, but in the realm of Talented, Hegel's structure applies to the predominant characters of the story. Though it may seem that Patrick O'Conner, our dashing Irish hero is in fact the thesis, that's not what we had in mind. We formed the story around Sage being the thesis, that the world must be destroyed in order to achieve utopia. Patrick stands in his path, thus arguing that the world must stay the way it is. But who is their synthesis? Is it petty Brian with so many psychological issues that its a wonder he's successful at his profession? Is it Reynolds who is a religious killer (which can be shortened in to "Harvard grad", actually)? Ah, I would read this week's chapter carefully because it is actually the character Conner. But that model hasn't formed yet! We barely know Conner and as Hegel's model decimates both the thesis and antithesis to give birth to the synthesis, you can only imagine what Patrick and Sage are going to go through, both physically and philosophically, in order to arrive at something completely different. I'll leave you all with a graph that illustrates Hegel's model from LawSchoolDiscussion.org and one question: if Conner is the result of Sage vs. Patrick and is the future, will he have to destroy both of them in the name of "progress"? Stay tuned.

Literate Machine

We've just set up shop at Literate Machine, where you can get a free pdf version of chapter 1. Some people prefer to read comics in pdf form, so we're working on that. Check it out.

Also, it lists me as the sole author, but that's just because it's my profile. The Talented is also written by Omar, featuring art by Adrian Rivero and lettering by Ben Rollman.

Monday Meeting: April 6th

highlights from this week's Monday Meeting:

Omar: they should do a crossover with Narnia and Ridick
Aslan fighting alien bats
it's what C.S. would have wanted

Sabir: Meeting the Jonas Brothers is [my worst nightmare].

And so much more! Without further ado:


Omar: welcome everyone to our second weekly Monday Meeting!
as usual, it is I, Omar Najam, joined by Sabir Pirzada
how ya' doin, Sabir?

Sabir: I'm doing well, Omar

Omar: capital letters make us look so prominant

Sabir: That's what they're for
and look at that, you spelled it right!

Omar: haha i did!
just like a raptor, im learning
this week we're hoping for a more brief discussion because last week's meeting took up quite a bit of page space
we're gonna go through what we're up to, this week's chapter, next week's chapter, the hardest thing about publishing The Talented online and our current favorites
let's get started
THIS WEEK'S CHAPTER
the topical cat is out of the bag, any words about this week's chapter, sabir?

Sabir: Let's just say that this is a turning point in the story
a major action takes place that divides people very quickly
as fast as they were all brought together
we don't waste time in our story
I must also say that the artwork in this chapter is particularly good
Adrian has a real gift for drawing action

Omar: that he does
when we were scripting this chapter, i was very hesitant because I am not a fan at all of gun violence
not to say anyone on the Talented team is but I especially abhor their presence for...personal reasons
but it really came out a lot less violent than I had imagined
Adrian really focused the action on the expressions rather than the weapons

Sabir: Right, and I think that was necessary to create the right emotion that we wanted
because that tension is necessary for the next few scenes to make sense

Omar: exactly
a very disturbing but very "Sage" chapter in our story
but i think the chapter speaks for itself which brings us to...

NEXT WEEK'S CHAPTER

Omar: anything you wish to say about this Saturday's upcoming chapter, Sabir?
pages 31-34

Sabir: The introduction of the most important character in the story
and it's not what you're expecting

Omar: I think this really where the story picks up
you've met all the characters you need to by this chapter and now it's time to put the pieces into action
it's also a direct reaction to this week's chapter
i also think of this chapter when i go to a coffee shop and pour myself half and half
and I drink coffee every fucking morning
ugh talk about addiction

Sabir: hahahaha

Omar: where's the truth commercial about light roast?
anyhow, next segment

THE HARDEST THING

Omar: we promised our readers that we'd throw out a little human interest segment here where we discuss the hardest thing about the process of The Talented
if i may instigate this discussion...

Sabir: the floor is yours

Omar: budgeting
in a film, you shoot and then reshoot and then a whole mess of problems
comics seem to be so much cleaner and easier
emphasis on seem
The Talented is so close to our hearts that we get the printed version and we look at it and spot dialogue problems and facial expressions
it pays to be anal retentive
well not pays
it costs less to be anal retentive
sabir?

Sabir: haha yes, budgeting has been challenging
and we've paid for our mistakes
so many mistakes...

Omar: hahaha
marrying Gloria Estefan
sabir, how could you?
you knew she was just in it for the money
love's labors lost indeed

Sabir: I can't help myself sometimes. Seriously, though, I would say that the most challenging part of the process so far has been promoting the comic
which we're in the process of doing right now

Omar: ah good point

Sabir: the internet is great for promotion
but it's also this endless sea of information where it's easy to get lost and forgotten
so we're doing our best, but it's tough
and it means so much because without an audience, we're just shouting at the wind

Omar: as we probably are currently

Sabir: but so far our numbers are good and we're hopeful they'll continue to increase

Omar: thank you to the 15 people that read the blog this week!
we're literally counting on you
but our site has been getting great numbers if i may say so myself
i did of course just hear the numbers when i called you like 16 minutes ago
so paying and promoting, any other difficulties?
I'd put forth: criticism

Sabir: criticism can be biting sometimes, but I think as writers we've come to learn how to take it gracefully and learn from it

Omar: exactly
if we don't get criticism, no one is reading us
which brings us to:

WHAT ARE WE WATCHING
and/or reading

Omar: in this segment we'll quickly talk about what we're reading and watching in terms of comics, books, TV and movies
sabir, any comic books that are hot in your hands as of the moment?

Sabir: I've just read volume 6 of Preacher
and it's perfect in every way
I've learned so much from it
I've also just read "After the Cape," a black and white Image comic
which was also very enjoyable. I don't read black and white comics very often (ironic, I know), but I'm getting into them much more now
Finally, I just read two works by Brian Azzarello: his Superman: For Tomorrow story with Jim Lee
and Joker with Lee Bermejo
both of which were very enjoyable, though I had some problems with the Superman story
all in all, I've mostly been playing catch up than getting to the new stuff
how about you, Omar? What have you been reading?

Omar: well I also took your recommendation and read Joker
which I thought had the second best Joker joke I have ever seen

Sabir: which one would that be?

Omar: when the man is stripped of his skin and Joker slaps a one dollar bill on his thigh
i nearly threw up
and then I thought about it
and nearly threw up
that, to me, describes Joker

Sabir: yeah, that's a twisted scene
and yet, perfect for the Joker

Omar: the best Joker joker, for me, is when he hangs Batman upside down in front of a tank of Piranha's
well him and Harley
but it's because they're smiling
if you sit down with that one, it's so twisted and insane it can only be described one way: Joker

Sabir: That's from the cartoon, right?

Omar: yup yup yup

Sabir: That's a classic episode

Omar: greatest fucking thing WB ever screened

Sabir: absolutely
Really, the Batman cartoon is a big reason why I got into comics in the first place

Omar: that intro sequence, ooh
too good
other than that though, I'm trying to keep track of the Rainbow Lanterns but there are just so many books
but I have returned to Transmet and Watchmen as paperbacks
and I have to say, it's such a relief to have those around
Sabir, any books you're reading right now?

Sabir: The only non-texbook book I'm reading right now is "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Clay" By Michael Chabon
and it might just be one of my favorite books ever
I got it signed by Michael Chabon at Wondercon a month ago
and it was a pleasure meeting him
I would highly recommend it to anyone, especially comic readers
how about you, Omar
Steal anything from the library lately?

Omar: hey i scan and/or burn from the library
i never steal

Sabir: of course

Omar: and I'm only reading up on Freud, Lacan and acting theory
which are all strangely related
BUT i did get my roommate a book by Michel Foucault for his birthday
who we mention on our first page if I am not mistaken

Sabir: That's right

Omar: and I'll be sneaking a pretentious peak at that soon
you guys want a good read, check out Madness and Civilization
redundant in my opinion but...
sabir, television?

Sabir: Television... well, I've of course been watching and enjoying LOST
other than that, there are two new shows I'm addicted to
Dollhouse
which had a rocky start but has found its footing now
and Kings
which is a very unique and interesting show
quite different from anything I've ever seen before, yet familiar enough to be easily engaging

Omar: kinda like a strip show

Sabir: haha I wouldn't know anything about that...
I just hope they both don't get canceled...
how about you
what's on your dvr?

Omar: Dollhouse, Dollhouse, Doll-freakin'-house
in my opinion the best written show on television right now

Sabir: Did you get to episode 6 yet?

Omar: oh yeah
its an emotional shank

Sabir: I told you, it eventually reaches a point where it's just amazing
I thought the most recent episode was particularly emotional
especially the last five minutes

Omar: oh god, it just...
each episode is just rebirth and death
and the last frame gives you hope for life
I'm so glad that Joss Whedon is back on television
and speaking through a female protagonist
because he got sooo screwed via WonderWoman

Sabir: Oh, that's right
I forgot about that

Omar: I refuse to believe that Jessica Biel exists

Sabir: Warner Bros. will probably want to make Wonder Woman dark now
like the Dark Knight

Omar: haha
half of Dianna's face gets melted
speakng of films, what movies have you seen and or looking forward to?

Sabir: I've just seen Requiem for a Dream
one of the most intense movies I've ever seen

Omar: JUST seen?!

Sabir: beautifully done

Omar: everyone should see that when they're 5

Sabir: I bought it a long time ago but never got around to watching it
haha how different my life would be...

Omar: heroine would be eradicated
anything on your expectant list?

Sabir: I'm embarrassed to say that I'm looking forward to seeing Fast and Furious

Omar: haha as you should be
i hear it has the same body but new parts
just like a car
no it looks quite impressive for an action flick
they really did spruce it up from the original

Sabir: I enjoyed the first one for what it was

Omar: i cant wait for chronicles of ridick to come out again

Sabir: oh, come on
I don't think I deserved that

Omar: haha no no it looks pretty intense
and I liked chronicles
i think
they should do a crossover with Narnia and Ridick
Aslan fighting alien bats
it's what C.S. would have wanted

Sabir: I'm sure...
I'm just saying, it looks entertaining
like a proper sequel the first movie never had and never needed
but cool nonetheless

Omar: haha
i just saw Monsters vs. Aliens

Sabir: and how was that?

Omar: freakin' bomb-ass 3-D
i read an interview on IGN.com and they talked about how this is the film that will showcase the new 3-D
I loved Coraline 3-D and I was dazzled by Monsters vs. Aliens
i had my doubts but this really is the new medium

Sabir: I'm jealous that you were able to see Coraline in 3d
I missed the boat

Omar: thank you downtown SB

Sabir: and it was replaced by the Jonas Bros. movie
or something

Omar: HOW THE FUCK IS JONAS BROS IN 3-D
what happens? their shitty music pops out at you?

Sabir: I have no idea

Omar: the jonas brothers emerging from the screen is my worst nightmare

Sabir: hahaha
Meeting the Jonas Brothers is mine

Omar: haha
im making a movie with the Jonas Brothers
Interview with a Virgin
Anne Rice wrote the original
pretty disturbing stuff

Sabir: hahaha

Omar: anyhow, enough of psuedo-Christians making money off of whoring out their chastity
the one movie I am looking forward to more than any other movie I have ever looked forward to
the movie I am more excited about than any other movie in my life
Where the Wild Things Are

Sabir: I was wondering who was telling me about this movie
and it was you
mystery solved!

Omar: haha bingo

Sabir: Yes, I've seen some images from this movie
it looks really cool
I want to read the book first

Omar: have you seen the trailer?

Sabir: there's a trailer?

Omar: oh my god...
someone get this guy DSL
or something to get onto the internet
hahaha ok THAT was uncalled for
ill admit it

Sabir: Sorry, I've been busy looking at other things...

Omar: the Jonas brothers?

Sabir: their cousins, maybe

Omar: the Jamestown brothers?
too soon?

Sabir: haha

Omar: but WTWTA looks freaking fantastic
and Spike Jones is a straight shooter
you don't fuck with the Jones

Sabir: indeed

Omar: so...here's looking at you, October
right well that about wraps us up this week
any closing statements, Sabir?

Sabir: I just want to thank everyone who's reading along with us
we really appreciate it and we hope you enjoy the next chapter

Omar: and when you're checking out our new chapter be sure to go to Ben Rollman's bio page
because the last word in his bio is a secret link that will be activated this Friday
also, Ben is an amazing guy and you should read about him

Sabir: He really is

Omar: Sabir, thanks for staying up

Sabir: any time
you know this is my daily routine

Omar: haha
have a great week everyone
aaaaaaaaand cut

Sabir: haha I love how we go longer than expected every time

Thursday Theory: April 2

Hello fair readers! It's Thursday and that means two things: thinking about how it was originally named "Thorday" (true story, Thursday was named after everyone's favorite schizophrenic Avenger) and theory!!

Since this is the first post for this weekly segment, let's start at the beginning, let's say... page 1.

One big name that kinda gets nuzzled in the crowded word bubble of the last panel is Calude Levi-Strauss. Keep in mind, we're not professors, we are not sneakily instigating a structuralist revolution, we just want to put the Talented story into a set of ideas, so when we bring up Levi-Strauss we're mainly pulling from his theories regarding myth and convention.

To really boil it down (I mean REALLY boil down), we understand from Levi-Strauss that the reason myths exist so similarly from culture to culture is because they are a form of language, or a big fluffy story with a very "human" core. Each myth can be trimmed down to its mytheme or main body of the myth. These mythemes compose a myth by way of binary opposition (Vladimir Propp was a big big guy in this). Man vs. woman, rich vs. poor, and everyone's favorite, good vs. bad. This means that each myth is about the butting of heads. Now you might be thinking three things: a- I am never reading this post ever again, b- I know this already because I study modern philosophy, jackass or c- okay... how does this apply to comics.

Person c, I am so glad you asked!! It goes without saying that comics are contemporary myths but graphic literature THRIVES off of these binary battles. You want a few examples? Sure! Order vs. chaos, sounds an awful lot like Batman vs. Joker. Selflessness vs. selfishness, Superman vs. Lex Luthor, anyone? Let's go for a weird one: humanity vs. "animal" desire. Wolverine, baby. Okay, that one wasn't that weird, weird would be breaking down a web comic but you see what I'm getting at.

Now all of these ideological/symbolic fist-jabs happen in a sort of harmonious fashion, even in real life. This is where Talented starts to get involved. Society relies on this "balance" (it's really an ongoing battle) between binaries. Cook vs. starvation, doctor vs. illness, leader vs. anarchy. These are how careers develop. It can even be as easy as blacksmith vs. lack of horseshoes. Society forms around struggle. Nature provides a force and society pushes back.

Talented considers how our world has changed the balance. It's like a hunter depleting too much of its prey, you disrupt the harmony and harmony kicks you back in the gut. In our current environment, we can even see the disbalance of life vs. death. You could argue that the surge of life over death (medicine, suburbs, etc) leads to overpopulation, which leads to super viruses and war and (depending on what political fence you stare from) natural disaster.

Sage wants to put the world back to the simple harmony, back to the simplified struggle between binaries where everyone fought only one force. That's the basis for this myth.

Next week: We got two opposing forces down, A vs. B, but what about Guy A vs. Guy B makes... Guy C?! And then Guy C and Guy D make Guy E?! What?! Who came up with that?!?

Oh... Hegel...

See you all next week!