It's a Sad Day in Packerland

The picture above makes me sick. Favre a Jet? I want to curl up into a ball and sleep through the football season. I haven't been thrilled with the offseason for the Packers. The way they've dealt with the Favre situation has made me sick to my stomach. Late last week, my hopes were revived when I heard rumors that the team would be open to a quarterback competition and that they were prepared to welcome Favre back. I immediately pictured that fairy tale ending to his career where he leads the team to one final Super Bowl victory.

That all changed when the team and Favre decided to go their separate ways. I was upset, but last night, for the first time, I found myself rooting for an individual player and not my beloved team. I found myself hoping that Favre would land on his feet with the Bucs and help them get to the playoffs if not the Super Bowl. And yes, I was already inquiring about getting tickets to the Packers/Bucs game with help from Stephanie's parents who live in Tampa.

But none of that matters now. As of last night, Brett Favre is a New York Jet. That's right, a Jet. Good Christ, a fucking Jet. And I thought I was sick before. I can't even comprehend what this means. The best QB in Packers history has been thrown out like last week's garbage. And for what? A conditional draft pick? Some no-name rookie who'll never even see the playing field?

It's not the trade that's upset me. Well, that's not the only part of this debacle making me ill this morning. It's that Favre is with a team that has next to no chance of being any good. They'll be better with Favre, there's no doubt about that, and yes, I'll be pulling for him to lead them to some extra victories. But becoming a playoff caliber team might be out of reach for Jets, with or without Favre.

A Jet? Oh hell, I need a drink.

Edited to add: Gene Wojciechowski expresses his thoughts on the Favre debacle and explains the trade details in his new article on the situation. The Packers may get someone decent, but he'll be no Favre. Fucking Packers! Ugh.

Greg vs. Greg Part I: A Retort

I've been aware for awhile now that Rich Lovatt enjoys Greg Land's artwork yet finds problems in Greg Horn's. They certainly have different styles while delivering the cheesecake, but I never understood why Rich could take offense to one but not the other. So I asked him. In answer, Rich posted the first part of his explanation. Being the good friend I am, I have to play devil's advocate and call him out...at least a little.

Rich's first problem with Horn is that the artist overtly sexualizes his subject. I'm not going to argue that. It's true. And while I enjoy my fair share of comics with scantily clad females on the cover, it does get a little overwhelming sometimes. But is that something to criticize an artist for? Not really. Publishers, such as Marvel, ask him to do a cover and they expect their heroines to appear as sexy as possible, regardless of the story taking place between the covers. It's what he does best so why expect anything else?



Take for example the Emma Frost #1 cover (above). Rich is spot on; Horn's Emma Frost covers are designed to make Frost out to be as sexy (and as naked) as possible. And yes, that sexuality has nothing to do with the storyline. But you know, I can't knock Horn for that. Marvel paid him for an Emma Frost illustration. The editors should never have accepted it if they felt it did the storyline a disservice.



As for Rich's assertion that Horn didn't straying far enough from that overt sexuality even after he'd been asked to tone it down, well, I just have to disagree. When I went to high school, the girls dressed sexy too, even if that meant short skirts. Plus, as an added bonus, I think Horn actually captures the emotions of a frightened, naive teen on the cover of issue 8 (above). Not many cheesecake illustrators manage that one. If Marvel didn't want sexy, they would've found another artist. Instead, they stuck with Horn, which means they probably asked for a sexy teenager.



Don't get me wrong, I'm not a huge Horn fan. He doesn't have a wide range, and to be honest, I think his images are great at first glance, but upon scrutiny, that sense of sex appeal loses some of its luster. And that emotion that I've been seeking from comic book storytelling, that emotion he captured on the cover of Emma Frost 8, well, that's not always there, which is too bad because even the sexy images stand out more with emotion shining through.

No, I'm not disagreeing with Rich, just thinking that his reasoning is off kilter a little. And as for Horn's inability to draw women that actually look unique? Well, personally, I think that's a shortcoming of a lot of comic cover artists, and I challenge Rich to show me a cover artist for the big boys who manages to deliver on that one. I'll be surprised if he finds someone, but if so, I'm sure it won't be Greg Land.

If You've Got a Niche, Scratch It

The What's Your Niche thread over at the Collector's Society has me scouring the Internet for scans of comics covers. (NOTE: If you head over to read the thread, be warned that there's juvenile guy humor in the first page or two that might not be safe for work.) If you've read my blog, The Collector's Mentality, you know that I love to start collections but I've never managed to finish one. Well, I'm at it again.

I might be a collector, but I'm first and foremost a comic reader. I've always bought and read a particular series, or artist, or writer. In other words, this whole niche thing is new to me. Buy a comic just because there's a guy on the cover getting hit by a fish? That's what Great Escape does (that's his book on the right there). And there are plenty of people who get into bondage covers, or any cover that features a dinosaur, or redheads, or whatever. How cool would it be to have 1000 covers with the same theme on the cover? You could see how art has progressed through time.

I have no idea what my niche would be. Maybe people floating in space? Or because I like Edgar Rice Burroughs books so much (and Mike Grell's Warlord) maybe it should be guys in loin cloths? A friend who has an affinity for the drawn female form suggested up-skirt angle shots of female heroes. Not the most PC collection to get into, and I doubt that would go over well with Stephanie, but it sure would give me plenty of items to choose from.

Knowing me, I'd never narrow down what I wanted long enough to actually start a collection, but I do like the idea. If nothing else, it gives me something to think about at work...boring, boring work.

Wes's New Site

For those looking for a comic strip to get into, check out Wes Molebash's new site. If you've ever had a relationship, you really should already be reading You'll Have That. It's funny because it's true and we've all been there. And if you have never read the strip, start from the beginning.