Signed some comix and drew some sketches including a peculiar, art-deco BATMAN in a Picasso/Cubist style (the only way I can make Batman make any visual sense, I suppose...) for JHU coordinator, Vito, who told me he had an ELONGATED MAN pitch into DC and wanted to put me on the short list to draw it. I said "Hells, yeah!" Scored my 40% discount card for JHU and bought a 2003 WONDER WOMAN and 2003 POWERPUFF GIRLS calenders for SBX & her girls. Got SBX a Paul Grist KANE trade collection and Ben Katchor's THE BEAUTY SUPPLY DISTRICT. Got myself a few Zeb Wells PETER PARKER: SPIDER-MAN comics, and Jones & Corben's THE HOUSE ON THE BORDERLAND, a Vertigo horror graphic novel based on the classic English tale.
Missed out on a dinner and an R. Crumb opening with cartoonist Eli Bishop, and Comic Buyer's Guide columnist/Pulse reporter Heidi MacDonald, so I could train it back to Park Slope and take care of my sick SBX. Got her some health food and we watched network television. Channel 7 was hosting ENEMY OF THE STATE (the unofficial sequel to Coppola's magnum opus, THE CONVERSATION), and stayed with that. ENEMY/STATE is a hyper aware/hokey-okey-dokey movie with tacky resolve. Gene Hackman is one of my favorite actors of all time.
TOP 20 FAVORITE MALE ACTORS
[off the cusp and in no particular order]:
Gene Hackman
James Caan
Alan Arkin
Steve McQueen
Marlon Brando
Burt Reynolds
Jon Voight
Clint Eastwood
Christopher Walken
Peter Falk
George Clooney
Chow Yun Fat
Robert Deniro
Al Pacino
Bruce Lee
Eric Roberts
Brad Pitt
Bruce Campbell
Don Cheadle
Philip Seymour Hoffman
Rubbed SBX's shoulders/face/neck/and back in-between commercials. Played liquid nurse nazi and made her drink a ton of fluids; flush that mucus right out of her sinuses. Surprised SBX with a gold & red Lava Lamp and brought butterflies to her aching body. After the movie, we pushed the tube a little longer but when SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE couldn't crack one smile between us (SHOWTIME AT THE APOLLO's 'Amateur Night' always delivers the goods), we decided to murder the television, snuggle under the covers, and retire to the moon.
Woke up to a perky Sunday morning and honked bobo. Got dressed and went for whole wheat bagels and breakfast supplies. The soggy streets kept us house bound for the afternoon as we did chores and kept SBX on the water & tea regime. Reading the NY Times turned into me organizing SBX's music collection while she tended to her perpetually messy office. SBX bought one of those CD cases and I tossed 200 jewel cases into plastic bags, making shelf room for books. Energized by the afternoon sweep, SBX and I went book shopping in Park Slope. Got the latest issue of PRINT Magazine which is hella expensive but worth the ticket. Big article on the art of comix by industry buddy Dan Nadel. Looking forward to his science. SBX bought me Madhur Jaffrey's QUICK & EASY INDIAN COOKING, 'cause she's hip to my curry fetish, especially of the tikka madras variety.
SBX and I walked back to my pad in Carroll Gardens with two bags of books, and some CDs (I bought a new copy of NWA's classic "Straight Outta Compton"), and we decided to start a MOVIE CLUB. Do this regular like. A charter member list is in the works. Thinking about launching the club with neo-realistic, 70s genre alternating with Horror flicks for the current season.
Ordered some Thai food, danced to PEACHES, and RUN-DMC, and watched Neil LaBute's YOUR FRIENDS AND NEIGHBORS with SBX, Mike & Marie. Sparked a war 'tween ladies & gents. Gent's claimed Jason Patric's misanthropic misogynist the hero, and ladies claimed Catherine Keener's sociopath the winner. at 50/50, it was a draw. One thing I noticed about watching movies: whenever I see characters eating food, makes me want to eat, yo. Especially when they be curling them spaghetti strands all up in that red sauce, round & round in the spoon and then choo-choo Charlie that spiral into the mouth for some instant satiation. Mm-mm *smack* delicious, purrrrrrr. Either I'm a sow or that power of suggestion is some serious mind-control. Make a food terrorist out of me. I'm not talking light-saber fights, kung-fu, or two-fisted gun melees, but what domestic action on the screen gets YOU randy and raring to go at the drop of dime?
To rid the sour taste of FRIENDS/NEIGHBORS and end the evening on a gushy feeling, I popped open the first season of my favorite EVER television series; THE MARY TYLER MOORE SHOW. We all cuddled on the futon and appreciated that very first episode.