A Comic Fan Speaks Up

It’s lonely being a comic fan in Singapore.

Tell people that you read comics and they start giving you funny looks. "You read comics? You are, what, in your thirties now? And you still read comics?"

"Hey, comics are not just for kids, you know. It has really matured as a medium and is mostly catered for adults," I would say defensively.

"Right, so you are still reading Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman (sniggers)?"

"There are other stuff out there (in truth, I’m really still a fan of Superman and Batman – hey you, stop rolling your eyes). Graphic novels have evolved over the years, and they now deal with real world sensibilities and issues like the deliberate abuse of power by people in authority. They have also gone from juvenile characterizations to the deconstruction of the concept of the superhero in terms of the moral and psychological implications of their frankly bizarre lifestyles, at the same time delving into questions of free will and moral relativism. Some of the stories blend world mythology, literary reference, and classic sensibility into a beautiful, cohesive whole while others movingly explore the fragility and sublimity of love, life and friendship*."

A moment of deep, respectful silence. Then, "So do you put on red underwear at home?"

Even kids don’t read comics nowadays. Ask them if they would like to read the latest issue of Superman and they would look at you in disdain and go back to playing their xbox. “Superman is for wimps!” they would inform you as they blast some alien and splatter its bloody intestines all over the screen.

I would place comics in the same category as pornography. You try to avoid eye contact with the smirking cashier when you pay for them. You can’t tell anyone you’re reading it. You don’t want to be caught reading it because you will get ridiculed. The only difference is that if you are found out, no one is interested in borrowing your comics.

For some reason, comics just do not get much respect. There appears to be a perception that only geeks read comics. And we are not talking about the kind of geeks who have never been out on dates, but are actually absolute wizards with their computers and will go on in life to make a few billion dollars writing some software program and end up dating supermodels (not superheroes, supermodels); I am talking about real geeks - wimps who have never been out of dates, smell bad, have no real talent and can only relate to people who wear their underwear on the outside.

Well, I’m here to prove these people wrong. I read comics, and I’m a successful millionaire who hangs out with a superhero supermodel every... Sigh, who am I kidding? I’m a geek. A wimp. Who has no talent and smell bad.

Well... Never mind what other people think. I hope to be able to share my love for comics with my 2-year old daughter.

I hope she won’t give me a disdainful look and say, “Comics for wimps!”


* Jim Fingal, How to Enjoy a Graphic Novel, Havard Independent

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For those who’re willing to give comics (or graphic novels) a try, I recommend the following:

1. Maus: A Survivor's Tale: My Father Bleeds History/Here My Troubles Began by Art Spiegelman
"1992 Pulitzer Prize-winning illustrated narrative of Holocaust survival, paints a perfect picture of the horrific events of the Holocaust in his phenomenal two-book series Maus."

2. Blankets by Craig Thompson
"Thompson manages to explore adolescent social yearnings, the power of young love and the complexities of sexual attraction with a rare combination of sincerity, pictorial lyricism and taste."

3. Astro City Vol.1: Life in the Big City by Kurt Busiek, Brent E. Anderson, Alex Ross
"ASTRO CITY was conceived not to explain, "what it would be like if superheroes existed in our world," but "what it would feel like if we could wander through theirs.""

4. Marvels by Kurt Busiek, Alex Ross
“...a worm's-eye view of the spectacle of Marvel comics history... told from the perspective of (a newspaper photographer). Renowned artist Ross's rich, lush, nearly photorealistic style made his reputation—and the book—a landmark.”

5. The Sandman Vol. 1: Preludes and Nocturnes by Neil Gaiman, Sam Kieth, Michael Dringenberg, Malcolm Jones III
Volume 1 of one of the most critically acclaimed graphic novels of our time

6. Batman: The Dark Knight Returns by Frank Miller, Klaus Janson, Lynn Varley
“...one of the best told stories I have come across in any media...”

7. V for Vendetta by Alan Moore, David Lloyd
“A frightening and powerful story of the loss of freedom and identity in a totalitarian world...”

8. Superman for All Seasons by Jeph Loeb
"Loeb and Sale restore a gentle humanity and dignity to the character... and a depth to his relationships which make this collection a timeless pleasure to read."

9. Superman: Secret Identity by Kurt Busiek, Stuart Immonen
"Superman has remained popular for nearly 70 years because of the appeal of having powers "far beyond those of mortal men." Busiek gives us a glimpse of what actually possessing them would probably entail."

10. Kingdom Come by Mark Waid, Alex Ross
“...a book that no one with even a passing interest in comics, politics, or philosophy should pass up. It has a sophistication and intelligence that sticks in your mind and leaves niggling questions and doubts, as all good literature should.”

Reflections of a Father

Jaslyn is growing up really quickly. It doesn't seem like that long ago when she was just a helpless few-months old babe who likes to be carried and rocked (she would protest every time we tried to sit down - you have to be constantly moving!). Watching her grow up has been a joyful and most fulfilling experience, and she has filled our lives with much joy and laughter. She's a happy toddler most of the time, and would give you mischievous looks while thinking of new ways of getting into trouble. She loves to sing, and can sing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star really well (this was the song we used to sing to make her sleep).

Already, at 2 years of age, she's starting to assert her independence. She prefers to walk by herself and not hold hands, turning to us for help only when she needs to climb stairs, or when she spots a dog or cat in the vicinity. She will probably assert her independence more as she grows older; it's a disquieting feeling to see her growing so fast and becoming less and less of that helpless babe.

And I wonder what kind of a parent I will turn out to be? It's all very nice and jolly now - we sing nursery rhymes, play with puzzles and building blocks and read her favorite books (Mouse’s First Day of School, Harold & the Purple Crayon, Bible Stories for Children) together before bedtime. Very soon, she will start going to kindergarten, then primary school... And knowing Singapore's education system, will I become the type of parent who will feel pressurised into making sure that her homework is done properly, that she attends extra classes, tuition, etc.? Will I feel disappointment if she is unable to make the grade? How will she see me as a father? Will she give me a 'C' (as rated by Singaporean teens in a recent survey on dads)? Will she become a rebellious teen?

It's when I think of all these things that I realize how much I love her now, and how deeply I want to bring her up well... It's more than just a sense of responsibility of being a parent. You just love this being so completely that you never want her to be hurt... You want to be able to equip her with all the necessary skills to be able to cope with life... You want to bring her up well so that she will have a positive outlook in life and not resent you for bringing her into this world...

I pray that God will give me the wisdom to bring her up well... I pray that I will always love her with the same intensity... I pray that she will forgive her daddy for the mistakes that he might make while bringing her up... and I pray that she will always love her daddy.

Amen.

War of the Worlds

Just watched the movie 'War of the Worlds'. Have read some online reviews, and came across many criticisms, like how it was impossible that the pods / machines could remain buried for so long and go undetected, or how these aliens took million of years to plan an attack and yet forgot to give themselves a flu shot, or how it's logistically retarded to attempt to kill millions of human beings by shooting laser beams at them. There're also complaints about the ending ("That's it? The aliens died from flu? My grandmother is stronger than that!” and "His son is still alive? That sucks! I would have enjoyed watching the aliens suck the juice out of his brains!")

Me? I've long given up being so critical about movies. The way I see it, since I've paid $7 (or $9.50, depending on whether you watch it on a weekday or weekend) for the movie, I might as well sit back and enjoy it. I used to go to the movies once a week, but since becoming a father (2 years ago), I average 1 movie every 3 months. As you can see, going to the movies has become a luxury for me. Thus, I'm picky about what I watch - it should be something that justifies catching on the big screen, i.e. no romantic comedies, indies or other small-scale stuff (these I can enjoy on dvd). I also make it a point to avoid anything by Stephen Sommers ('The Mummy', 'Van Helsing'), Michael Bay ('Pearl Harbour', 'Bad Boys 2'), Brett Ratner ('Rush Hour') or Paul W.S. Thomas (anything). Examples of some movies I've caught in the past year: 'Batman Begins', 'Return of the Sith', 'Spider-Man 2', and 'Return of the King'.

So, when I go to the cinema, I tell the critical voice in my head to shut up 'cos I'm gonna enjoy the movie.

Anyway, back to WOTW - just want to say that there were a few scenes which really chilled me, e.g. the terrified looks on the people's faces when the tripods first emerged from the ground and started blasting away, the train on fire - very surreal, also the part where the crowd of desperate people surrounded Ray's (Tom Cruise's character) car and started smashing the windows in their attempt to force their way in, culminating in Ray pleading that he just wanted his daughter - very powerful. It was a very good movie, actually, in that it succeeded in making you feel like you were among the refugees, helpless and terrified.

Having read the novel years ago, the ending did not come as a surprise, though I do agree with some people's comments that Ray's son should have died. Preferably by having the aliens suck the juice out of that brat's brains.

A Clueless Parent's Trip to the Doctor

Last week, Jaslyn (our 2-year old) had fever and flu. We tried giving her medicine, which she absolutely refused to drink. She has also reached the age where it's simply impossible to force-feed her via a syringe by squirting it down her throat as she would spit it right out. We did try, though. I held her down on the bed (while she screamed "Don't want! Don't want!") and my wife tried to pry her mouth open with one hand and insert the syringe with the other. The medicine was spat right back at us.

We finally decided to bring her to see the doctor, and proceeded to inform him of the difficulties we faced in administering medicine. The doctor (who does not look like he has any kids of his own) gave us a withering look and said, "But you have to give her some medicine. If not, how is she going to get well?"

We nodded meekly.

The doctor sighed and said, "Do you want to try using suppositories?"

Now, I have heard of suppositories; I know that they are administered anally. But other than that, I have no idea what it looks like, or how it works. And being your average straight male, I have a natural aversion to anything that had to be administered anally. Admittedly, the medicine was going to be used on my daughter and not on me, but still...

"How long does it take to take effect?" I asked doubtfully.

"About six hours," the doctor replied.

"You mean I have to press her down on the bed and keep it in her butt for six hours?" I asked, shocked.

The doctor rolled his eyes. "No. You just insert it in and leave it there. The body takes about six hours to absorb the medicine." He looked at me and I could tell that he knew unless he showed this clueless parent how to go about doing it, the toddler was probably not going to get any medication, orally or anally. "Okay, I'll show you how it's done."

He put on the gloves, took out this capsule and proceeded to insert it into Jaslyn's butt (Jaslyn was surprisingly fuss-free the whole time). "There, that's it."

"That was simple," I commented, relieved. Then, a thought struck me: "So I have to remove the thing from her anus after six hours?"

The doctor gave me a pained look. "No, it will be absorbed into her body."

"Okey dokey," I said, feeling like a total ass.

Thankfully, that was the end of the consultation. And thankfully, Jaslyn's fever came down after that so we didn't have to use any suppositories.

I like to think I've become a bit wiser from this experience. Suppositories ain't that bad. I might even request for some the next time I go see a doctor.

Then again, maybe not.