I remain utterly fascinated and impressed with how successfully Marvel Studios has adapted their comic book heroes and villains to film. They are certainly not without flaws, but they are never less than entertaining and are doing worldbuilding in ways we’ve never seen in feature film before.The comic book tricks of the trade, I knew, […]
I love receiving mail. Most days, we toss the vast majority of it since it’s all junk. There are the numerous magazines and bills but rarely are there surprises.Today, there was a surprise.The Comics Journal has begun mining their past for trade and hardcover collections of themed subjects. Most are very handsome and worth a […]
While I am getting into the rhythms of actually teaching, two other areas are of some concern to me. First, as I’ve mentioned before, is the classroom management. Some seem utterly incapable of keeping their mouths closed and others are just rude. Many can’t seem to contain themselves so they’re popping out of their seats […]
The second quarter began on Monday and I spent a fair amount of time reviewing my policies, rules, and procedures. I wanted to start with a clean slate, correcting the misconception that everyone was starting with an A. I said they’re beginning with a void and would fill it with each assignment.Unfortunately, the chat didn’t […]
Time flies when you’re busy or not looking or having fun.Just got back from Farpoint and had a lovely time. As usual, returning to the Hunt Valley Inn is like returning to family and friends. This time, though, it was a jarring experience. The hotel is under renovation and they apparently got a good deal […]
After reviewing the DC documentary Necessary Evil, I’ve been giving a lot of thought to villains of all stripes. It’s also been on my mind given my frustration with overly-long story arcs on some television series.A good hero, we’re constantly told, is defined by the quality of his opponent. Also, we’re told, everyone thinks they’re […]
Halloween gets everyone excited, whether you’re in costume shaking down the neighbors for candy or girding yourself for the onslaught of candy-crazed kids. At the high school level, most kids have decided they’re too old and too cool to dress up and collect fun sized pieces of chocolate. Still, it reminds them of childhood and […]
Here in Fairfield, it’s sunny and warm, temperature over 50. A good percentage of Sunday’s snow has vanished.And today is special.Pitchers and catchers report to Legends Field in Port St. Lucie for the beginning of Mets spring training. Forget what you heard about the Groundhog, spring training has begun. Spring officially gets underway on March […]
I have no recollection of who my father met while a salesman for IBM, but one day he announced that he arranged a tour of the DC Comics offices. I flashed back to that sense of wonder as the news spread across the Internet that after 75-plus years, the comic book publisher was going to […]
I seem to be getting the hang of teaching. On the other hand, I am still struggling with wrangling the kids and not wasting time endlessly repeating myself or trying to keep them quiet and focused. To that end, this past week an in house professional development resource and I jointly observed my fellow ninth […]