Defending my Pryde (of the X-men)

If you are a reader of this blog, you know I am a comic book fan. I admit that I wouldn't be comic book fan if it weren't for cartoons. One of my earliest memories was of watching "Spider-man and his Amazing friends". I remember an particular episode where the Spider-friends, consisting of Spider-Man, Iceman and Firestar meet the X-men, consisting of Prof. Xavier, Cyclops, Storm, Angel,  and Wolverine (with a British accent). As the two teams battled an intruding Juggernaut, I was amazed by the team that I didn't see on a weekly basis. Although I wouldn't see these X-men again for a while (I had no idea they appeared in another Spider-Friends episode), they left an impression on me that would last for most of my life.

What the hell are you staring at? Keep reading the blog!

By 1989, "Spider-man and his Amazing Friends" began re-airing on tv as part of the "Marvel Action Universe" along with a Robocop cartoon (hey, it was the 80s, even Rambo had a cartoon) and some...show about dinosaurs I never gave a shit about. One episode of the cartoon block was particularly memorable when instead of...that dino show, there was a promo for a new show based on the X-men. At this point, I knew a little more about the team, so I was excited to see how the show would turn out.

My first impression of the show was that it was awesome and honestly, my opinion still stands. The animation was good, the story line was simple enough and, in my opinion, the X-men personalities, or ever much of it could be fit into a 20 minute show, were captured perfectly...kind of. Unfortunately, "Pryde of the X-men", named after character Kitty Pryde, was just a pilot and judging by it only airing once, it didn't quite make the cut.Thus, this would be last time I would see the X-men on television until four years later.

Put your arms down,Dazzler, we can see you. We just don't care about you.

Today "Pryde of the X-men" is seen as joke and for the reasons why I liked it. The story, as I described it being simple, could be seen as insulting to long time fans for being too simple. The portrayal of the characters was seen as laughable, especially Wolverine's, who was given a Australian/ Scottish accent. While I can openly admit that the pilot was flawed, I feel it still could have worked as a show.

The main thing I think would've helped is if the show were based on the X-men roster of the time, the Outback team.It definitely would've helped explain Wolverine's accent.

Dammit, Dazzler, are you still here?

This team was more hard edged than the team shown in "Pryde", even though four of the six X-men in that were on the outback team. At the time, the X-men had gone through a lot so I think this period of time would've made for an interesting show. Imagine this team on TV battling the likes of Mojo, the Marauders, the Reavers and Nanny.

Now, to get to the defending of "Pryde". It's been ridiculed because of how the X-men and the Brotherhood are portrayed and the simplicity of the story line.The biggest thing people tend to forget is that "Pryde" was a pilot, a standalone episode that is used to sell the show to a television network. That means any flaw presented may not have been permanent. Kitty Pryde may not have stayed annoying and whiny, Wolverine may have dropped the Scottish accent, White Queen may not have sounded like she finished smoking 4 cartons of Marlboros and Juggernaut...well, Juggernaut is awesome so no complaining about him here.

 Also, the animation for it was pretty good. From what I've read, it was pretty expensive, meaning Marvel had a lot on the pilot. One has to wonder if they could've stuck with for an entire shows run, as animation on shows in the 80s would go from excellent to not great within a couple of episodes.

So, I will always stand by "Pryde of the X-Men" being a good pilot that wasn't given a fair chance by neither networks or fans and that is a shame. Plus, any pilot that can produce one of the greatest Konami beat em' ups is badass in my book.

#JBLRuinsEverything (For wrestling fans)

Dear world,

I openly admit that I, The Super Duper Senior, am a wrestling fan. I've been a fan ever since before I could talk properly. No matter how long I've watched wrestling, there have always been 4 elements that can make or break a match; the wrestlers, their gimmick, their skills and those who call the matches, known as commentators.

Commentators can really set the mood of a match. The breakdown of how they work go as followed; there are normally 2-3 three of them, 1 or 2 are considered neutral and/ or face (good guy) announcers and one that is a heel  (bad guy). There were times when the mixing of the 2-3 announcers is magic with examples being  the team of former wrestler Gorilla Monsoon and Bobby "The Brain" Heenan or Jim Ross and Jerry "The King" Lawler but then there were times when the announce teams just either didn't have the right chemistry (TNAs Mike Tenay and Tazz) or the announce team is too face and/or heel (Jerry Lawler and Heel Michael Cole). This leads us to the subject of this blog... John Bradshaw Layfield.

And yes, he does talk like this...

Though the current announce team for "Monday night Raw" isn't anything to right home about with Michael Cole and Byron Saxton as face/neutrals, it's dragged down by JBL, who isn't just a heel announcer, he's a heel announcer to the zenith degree. It's bad enough that this team barely calls the matches to begin with but JBL's constant putting down of face wrestlers, kissing ass for heel figures and putting down his fellow announcer are like nails on a chalkboard. There are times he begins to sound like a bratty child throwing a temper tantrum. I know most of you readers are thinking, "Isn't that what heel announcers do?" I normally would say "Yes, reader, yes it is..." but here is an example of how irritating JBL can truly be...

BS: "Roman Reigns is riding on a wave of success"
JBL: "I wish a wave would come by and take you away, Byron."

or

MC: "The authority strikes again"
JBL:"It's their world, Maggal, either get with it or get rolled over"
BS: "But is it fair, JBL?"
JBL: "Oh, boo hoo, Byron, That's  the way of the world. Quit crying about it!"

Look, I don't hate JBL. He's an alright wrestler and if he was able to be himself as an announcer, he probably wouldn't be terrible. I feel like part of the blame goes to Vince McMahon because he's known for telling announcers what to say through an earpiece. With what JBL says, or what he's given to say, it's so inane and childish that it takes away from matches, making RAW or any wrestling event he's announcing on near unbearable.

I remember wrestling trends on twitter saying things like #BigShowPleaseRetire and #KaneRuinsEverything and so I came up with my own, #JBLRuinsEverything.  Is it petty? Probably. Will it create change in JBL or WWE commentary? Probably not. Does it bring me joy to say this when JBL says something stupid? Damn yes!!

2015 Year in review

1. What did you do in 2015 that you'd never done before?
 Um, have a fancy high rise apartment to myself for a week. Does that count?


2.  Did you keep your new year's resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
Not really. Still living at home (going on year 4), still haven't graduated from school (Going on 12 years). If I keep making resolutions that I can't keep, no point in making more.

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
 Not a close friend but a friend none the less gave birth to a beautiful baby boy earlier in October.

4. Did anyone close to you die?
 The rock of life, My Great Grandmother, passed late July. A classmate passed around the same time. Another classmate passed away recently. Also gone this year are a couple of childhood heroes, Roddy Piper and Dusty Rhodes.

5. What countries did you visit?
 None

6. What would you like to have in 2016 that you lacked in 2015?
 My degree, my own place, Kyatto Ninden Teyandee & Gaiking (upon release), a better phone, WiiU, a blu-ray player, possibly my license...

7. What date from 2015 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
 July 26th, the my great grandmother passed away.

8.  What was your biggest achievement of the year?
 Staying with my job, even after a LOT of drama went down.

9. What was your biggest failure?
 See answers to question 2. Also not doing so hot in some of my classes.

10.Did you suffer illness or injury?
 I got sick a couple of times this year.

11. What was the best thing you bought?
 Quite a bit of stuff that I really didn't need. Dairanger box set, Link to the past manga, Gatchaman the movie, and the Christmas gifts I bought for myself.

 12.  Whose behavior merited celebration?
 One of my best friend's being sober for almost a year, another best friend's finally finding a suitable relationship.

 13. Whose behavior made you appalled and depressed?
 Some law enforcement, Donald Trump, Bill Cosby, Hulk Hogan. Depression is natural thing for me so most likely, I was depressed during the times I was appalled.

14.Where did most of your money go?
 Bus passes, Classes, Groceries and stuff I didn't need.

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
 Mostly movies that I still haven't seen yet. The release of Dairanger is something I was excited about and was able to get.

16. What song will always remind you of 2015?
 No song in particular.

17. Compared to this time last year, are you:
  i. happier or sadder?: At this moment, sadder.
  ii. thinner or fatter?: My weight fluctuates a lot.
  iii. richer or poorer? At the moment, a lil' richer...I guess

18.What do you wish you'd done more of?
 I wish I wasn't so sad and hostile. I also wished I paid more attention to my grades.

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
 See previous question. I also wish I didn't slack off so much at work.

20. How will you be spending Christmas?
 Christmas was spent with me at home, alone.

21. Did you fall in love in 2015?
 I fall in love all the time...

22. Did your heart break in 2015?
 Not heartbreak, maybe disappointment...

23.  What was your favorite TV program?
 Empire, Blackish, Chicago PD, Supergirl

24.Did you know anybody who got married?
 No one off the top of my head...

25. What states did you visit in 2015?
 Just the one I live in

26. Where were you when 2015 began?
 At Eliza's house...

27. Who were you with?
 With Adrienne

28. Where will you be when 2015 ends?
 Ask me tomorrow (Dec.31)

29. Who will you be with when 2015 ends?
 See previous question

30. What was the best book you read?
 "Countdown to lockdown" by Mick Foley

31. What was your greatest musical discovery?
 Rediscovering New Jack Swing of the late 80s-early 90s

32. What did you want and get?
 See question 11

 33.What did you want and not get?
 See question 6. Maybe some inner enlightenment

34. What was your favorite film of this year?
 um, "Jurassic World" but only because it was the only movie I saw in theaters this year.

35. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
 I walked down to the McDonalds down the street from me and bought a combo meal. I think my dad was one of the few people who remembered. I turned 103.

36. Where did you go on vacation?
 My bed

37. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2015?
 Black Hipster. May change that in 2016

38. What kept you sane?
 Friends, writing, reading, video games. Next year will probably be the same + more exercise.

39. Which celebrity/public figure did you fancy the most?
 Um, Not Donald Trump or Bill Cosby. Maybe Samuel L. Jackson...

40. What political issue stirred you the most?
 #BlackLivesMatter

 41. Did you have to go to the hospital?
 No, but probably needed to a couple of times

42.  How many concerts did you see in 2015?
 None

 43. Did you have a favorite concert in 2015?
 No

 44.  Who were the best new people you met?
 Sim, Elizabeth, Michelle (Misha)

45. Did you do anything you are ashamed of this year?
 I wish I was a bit more serious at work. If I were, I would be taken more seriously there.

46. What was your most embarrassing moment of 2015?
 I think falling off a skateboard in the office in front of everyone or/and the "Charlie Brown Christmas" fiasco

47.  Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2015
 I just remember an almost argument I got into with someone about "leaving it at the door", meaning leaving any personal problems at the door of certain places. In dealing with the death of my Great Grandmother, I read a blog post saying to never let ANYONE tell you when it is time to stop grieving. The best thing to do is to talk to someone, whether a friend or a professional, let them know you are hurting and hopefully, you and said person can find ways to help you through it.

 49. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
"Asked myself what it's all for
You know the funny thing about it
I couldn't answer
No, I couldn't answer" - "Blue" by The Seatbelts

Why I stopped reading current comics (Marvel edition)

With all the comic book movies and shows being released, I openly admit that I don't know the content of everything being released. When I saw the movie roster of "Guardians of the Galaxy", I had no clue who any of them were. I feel bad for not knowing who Jessica Jones or Quake are beyond their respected shows. As for comic books, I grew up knowing of only two Captain Marvels (In Marvel, DC's "Shazam!" doesn't count here) and now there are 5, including former Ms.Marvel, Carol Danvers. Speaking of Ms. Marvel, there's a new one named Kamala Khan who I had no clue about and I admit that  can only tell you about 2-3 facts about Miles Morales Spider-man.

What I'm trying to say is I'm behind the times when it comes to current comics. It's not something I'm proud of but I'm so far behind on them and so much has happened that I wouldn't know where to start. The reason for this is because I stopped reading current issues when I felt current storyline including a lot of Marvel heroes had become too absurd, even for me. It all starts with a very overpowered character named Onslaught...

Hi, I'm Onslaught, an overpowered plot device...

Onslaught was the amalgamation of the X-men's founder, Charles Xavier, and what can only be described as his best "frienemy", Magneto. During the X-men's "Fatal Attractions" story line, Magneto is brutally attacked by x-man/rageaholic--Wolverine. In retaliation, Magneto uses his powers of magnetism to yank out the adamantium that laced Wolverine's bones. If you're a fan of Wolverine, you know that this is not a good thing. Angered, Xavier mind wipes Magneto, leaving him a vegetate state. Doing this made Xavier absorb Magneto's persona, where it slowly festered and merged with Xavier's dark side. Onslaught emerges when a young mutant is killed by an anti-mutant group near the grounds of "Xavier's School for gifted youngsters", which also holds as the secret base of the X-men. Onslaught went on a proverbial rampage that involved  all New Yorker super heroes, well the important ones, at least. Lots of psychic, telekinetic, and other battles involving brains ensued and in the end, Onslaught, the Avengers, the Fantastic Four, the Hulk and Spider-man were all dead...or so we thought. Turns out that those heroes were reborn in a pocket universe by Franklin Richards, super powerful son of Reed Richards and Susan Storm of the Fantastic Four. They all returned to their home universe and all was happily ever after. All this resulted in the "Heroes Reborn" storyline.

Look out for Thor's knee lights!!

I thought there was no point to this. Was it done because fans believed that the Marvel comics were getting stale? Granted, 40 years and the same heroes and villains can grow tedious but why reboot them as this young, edgy and hip versions of people we have spent so much time knowing? They don't look cool, they look like that late 30s guy still going to frat parties, which is just creepy.

*Sidenote* I have no qualms with the Ultimate series. I haven't read any of them because...I just haven't.

I've been told that storylines such as Spider-Man's "One more day", "House of M" and "Civil War" are pretty good but at this point, I don't care. Storylines like what was mentioned above have soured me on the current product. I'm happy with the stories of the past, knowing that whatever is currently published can never top them.

And to think, I want to be a fiction writer...

To be continued

Grieving ain't easy

It's been over two months since the passing of my great grandmother, who was, as mentioned on my Facebook, my rock. It could be assumed that a couple of months would be enough to grieve for anyone but it's not as easy as it sounds.

At first, I thought it would be simple to just go through the motions of life but as time goes on, I slowly learn that it's not so easy to go on with life, even when I thought it was. Co-workers have said that I seem to lost my drive and that I've become overly sensitive to criticism. Friends have seen me either pull away or become extremely clingy. I've become more sensitive than usual, began sleeping more and not liking going out as much. All these are signs of depression, something I already have but spiked to an 11. 

These were changes others saw in me but it took me not being able to let go of a rose from my great grandmother's burial to show me that I'm not ready to let go. In my room sits that wilted yellow rose and it will stay there until I think I'm ready to let go. I kept it because it's yellow, like sunshine and that's what she was to me, even though I never told her that.

As for coping, I've already gotten past the stage of saying I'm still in mourning but I need help knowing what's next.

I guess I'm living this blog entry a little open ended but that's the thing about blogs, you can always do a follow up...

Peace

Dear Mr. Cosby...

Dear Mr. Cosby,
I'm the Super Duper Senior and I am a former fan of yours. I grew on your material, from "The Cosby Show" to "Picture Pages" and reruns of "Fat Albert". Me and my family looked up to you and all the contributions you have done for the African American community.

However, my view of you has changed as of recent. I admit, I had no idea of earlier allegations against you. The most negative news I heard towards you were a paternity suit that went nowhere in the mid 90s and the words of Janice Dickinson. I openly admit that Dickinson sounded attention starved and mentally ill in my eyes. It took the words of another comedian, Hannibal Burgess, to make my ears even perk up a little bit. And then, it all happened...

As woman after woman came out with accusations, people began making the issue about race, while I looked on in awe. I had a close relative say "See, this is what happens when you mess with too many white women", which left me totally disgusted. I know that most of the time, rape isn't about race or even gender, it's about power and control. And then came your 2005 court testament where you admitted to obtaining Quaaludes in order to drug and have sex with women and here is where my respect for you died.

I can't watch anything you are affiliated with the exception of "A Different World". All of this makes me go back to Janice Dickinson and why she acts the way she does. Maybe your actions are what made her that way. However, I want to thank you for the scholarship and other contributions you made to the African American community. I am glad that your wife and others willing to defend you to the very end. All I can say, that as an African American and a regular guy with a blog, I am not one of those people because I've helped counsel friends of different races after a rape. The trauma they experience is devastating to both them and the people around them. I only hope that you can face up to what has happened and hope that there aren't anymore victims of someone once know as "America's Favorite Dad".

Sincerely,
Me

P.S. I know you already know this but "Leonard part 6" and "Ghost Dad" suck so much ass...

Great Grandma Helen

Today, at 10:45 in the morning, I received news that my Great Grandma, Helen Otis, had passed away. While most people don't get to know their great grandparents very well, I got to know mine as she was active and willing to share her world with me.

She watched me as I was a little kid when I had summer school, when the school was just down the street from her. I originally wasn't particularly fond of being around her as she smoked and had a dog, Sammy, that annoyed the hell out of me. I'm not even sure where the turning point was where I became fond of her but I did. I think it was when I felt everyone else was forcing me to grow up, she let me be a kid. She let me be that overly sensitive, chubby little kid.

She was in bowling league and anytime I was with her, her teammates would always pinch my cheeks and tell me how cute I was. I think she sensed how annoying I found this so she always gave me a couple of dollars to play video games. On a particular day after bowling, she drove me to a little shopping center and took me inside one shop that had Spider-man and Batman on their window. She had a seat and let me run rickshaw inside this place that was filled with comic books and other memorabilia. She said I was allowed to pick out some comic books, not giving a real price range into how much to spend until I grabbed a couple of very expensive X-men comics. She would bring me back to this place, time after time until they moved.

We had our bad times too. At times, I took her for granted and acted like the spoiled brat that I was but no matter what happened between us, we would get over it because she loved me and I loved her but I think I began taking her for granted recently. I didn't contact as much as I should've, though I called her on the holidays or would try to stop by her place. I knew her health wasn't so hot and told her that I would try to check in on her but as always, life happens. When I called her for 92nd birthday, which was Tuesday, I was surprised to hear my aunt answer the phone, telling me that Great Grandma's condition worsened and that she may have had to a nursing home. I just told my aunt to keep me informed. And then today happened...

If there was one regret I ever had, it was that she never saw me graduate. When I was a child and when I "graduated" from elementary school, I didn't invite her and when she asked why, I told her because I thought she would embarrass me. She told me that she loved me but what I said hurt and at first, I shrugged it off but as I got older, I realized me saying so stupid must have been devastating for her to hear. She never got to see me march because I never really marched again. I graduated high school through summer school and just received it in the mail and I am finally graduating college, after over 10 years, this year, except she won't be there. That is the biggest regret I ever had and I wish I could take this action back with all my heart.

All I can say is goodbye Great grandma. Thank you for being one of the few people I felt that I felt believed in me. You are my rock and my sunshine and without you, my world is a little grayer.

Always and forever,
Jimaur