01.31.06
Posted in Suggestions at 1:42 am by Ode to Joy
You know when you read a book you really love and you get to a point where you start feeling sad that it is eventually going to end? That’s how I used to feel about comic books in general. I was worried that the form would just get too simple and childish and that I would eventually grow out of them. Luckily comic books have grown up as well, and no matter how discerning or sophisticated you think you are, I guarantee there is at least one book on the market you will love.
If you are totally new to comics, I would suggest you start out with some of the all time greats: Batman Return of the Dark Knight by Frank Miller. The Watchmen by Alan Moore. Some Uncanny X-men (anything between about issue 94 and 240 will do).
If you are familiar with comics, but have been out of the game for a while, definitely head down to your local comic shop. If you are familiar with the Marvel Universe, check out the Ultimates line (a retelling of the Marvel stories updated to a contemporary setting). Grant Morrison is doing amazing work, and I highly recommend the Seven Soldiers maxi-series he is working on (Frankenstein and Klarion the Witch Boy are 2 especially good titles in that series) as well as the work he did on New X-Men.
If you are looking for something more offbeat, check out the Imaginaries, a book about a land populated by retired imaginary characters or Godland (60’s style retro Kirbyesque art mixed with a pomo punk rock indie sensibility).
Words and pictures together. Cavemen were into it. The Egyptians were into it. The Mayans were into it. Who are we to disagree?
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Posted in Suggestions at 1:24 am by Ode to Joy
A critical step to enjoying yourself is to remember the things that you want to do. Too often, the great ideas come when you have no time to do anything except rush to work or finish the laundry or some such drudgery. When your free time comes, you are then tired and uninspired, and can end up spending yet another evening on the couch watching reruns (yet again). However, have no fear! This bleak fate can be avoided. When the muse hits and you feel inspired, record your idea!
I used to be a huge fan of notebooks, always carrying around a pad of paper and a pen to record my inspired thoughts. However, toting around school supplies can get clunky, and it’s not always convenient to stop to write things down (when you are driving for example, or walking somewhere). Digital Voice Recorder to the rescue! I just got a sony digital voice recorder. It’s like one of those old handheld tape recorders except it records everything in a digital format not requiring tape. So now, if the ideas come, I just hit record and voila, history is kept.
After using it for a few days, I am having a total blast with the thing. It’s great just to listen to your crazy ideas at the end of the day. You can also record wierd sounds you hear in the world (great for me as I’m a musician). I highly recommend this toy to anyone with an active imagination.
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Posted in About this Site at 1:08 am by Ode to Joy
The philosophy of this site is pretty simple. Enjoy yourself! This site is intended to share ideas about how to enjoy life and fun things one can do to fill up the time. Deep, eh? 
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