It looks like Earth. But the cities are asleep.

[alexsarll]

Gosh had sold out of the issue of Captain America where he dies by lunchtime, apparently. And that limiting people to two copies each, maximum. Part of me wishes the would-be speculators could have been given their head; I love the rare occasions when bad form really is its own punishment. I was in there for 12 comics, but Cap wasn't one of them; it's sad that so few of the people lured there by the chance to be in some indefinable way Part Of The News would have thought to pick up The Authority or Phonogram or newuniversal as well or instead.

Avril Lavigne's 'Girlfriend' achieves the hitherto unthinkable in being more fundamentally repugnant than 'Sk8r Boi', a song which has much the same effect on me as watching two spiders fighting. At least the earlier song, in its clueless way, was trying to manufacture an outsider, placing Lavingne as the rebel done good. But this...lyrically, it's Pussycat Dolls' 'Dontcha' but naffer (whether the description of the rival as "so whatever" is intended ironically or not, it's painful). And the video, with no apparent attempt at ambiguity, shows Lavigne and her cronies bullying the geeky girl whose boyfriend she wants to steal. And this is being held up as cool, by an act I'd thought aimed at the victims rather than the bullies? Quite appalling. I caught this monstrosity on E4 while setting the video; before and after I was listening to the Indelicates' 'We Hate The Kids'. Chance juxtaposition though this was, you couldn't hope for a better illustration of the Indelicates' argument that pop has gone irretrievably rotten, become just another arm of the voracious amoeba that is the Spectacle.
But what's worst of all is that the conclave of mad scientists who must be behind the whole 'Avril Lavigne' project have succeeded in making this one rather catchy.

The Court of the Caliphs is a bittersweet reminder of a time before the Mongols ruined everything, when the muslim world was arguably winning the civilisation game (if I had the misfortune to find myself in the late eighth century, the Middle East would be one of the more tempting neighbourhoods - certainly a long way ahead of Western Europe or Britain). Even the jihad against the infidel as practised then seems more like an annual promenade, engaged in with passion but no real animosity; at worst it was the era's footballism. There is the strangely familiar period where a civil war leaves Iraq prey to lawlessness, kidnapping and general devastation (though all without a Westerner or Zionist in sight), but that aside it's mostly wine, (harem) women and song.
Perhaps the most interesting section is that on Harun al-Rashid, the caliph made famous by the Arabian Nights. Turns out those tales don't really gel with history as we now know it, not even as exaggerations thereof. His adventures and ceaseless wonder among the exotic secrets of Baghdad? He didn't care for the city, and made several half-hearted efforts to build an alternative capital. His sidekick Jafar? Well, Jafar was the treasured vizier for much of his reign, it's true - but Haroun ends up having him brutally executed and posthumously dishonoured for no very clear reason. Despite his renown, Haroun's whole reign comes across as a series of false starts, mis-steps and thwarted efforts.
Which sets me thinking of Neil Gaiman's take on Haroun in the Sandman story 'Ramadan', where Haroun sells the magnificent Baghdad of the tales to the King of Dreams, in order that it might live forever. Assuming that Gaiman knew the historical version as well as the 1001 Nights (which I think fair, for he does seem to know almost everything) then this gives the story another layer. For when the deal is concluded, and Haroun wakes in the shabbiness of the real Baghdad...well, if you found yourself in the mundane shadow of the glorious, fabled city you once had, you'd want to get away from it, wouldn't you? And if your loyal companion, the sort heroes have, was suddenly replaced with a flawed human who nonetheless had his name and a certain coarse resemblance - you might well come to find yourself angered by him in a way that didn't make sense to the outside observer. So as well as a tribute to the Arabian Nights in particular and the power of legend in general, Gaiman's written an explanation for the rather dispirited reign of the factual Haroun.

So, in the absence of B-Movie, what's going on this Friday night? Or shall I just have a QNI and be up bright and early for the Tubewalks (start: Cally Road, 2pm)?

Comments

[baphomette.livejournal.com]

Is there any reason you shop in GOSH? andrew_hickey swore by it but I fail to see the appeal myself...

Also, knobs to Captain America, he'll be resurrected by 2010 just like everyone else has been. I want the new Buffy comic...

By the way, are there plans afoot for anything on Saturday evening? I still have a bag of comics to sling your way at some point.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I'm going to darkmarcpi's birthday.

Gosh is the second best comics shop in Britain and the best in London; it's staffed by people of taste, who like their customers and good comics, rather than trolls obsessed with Power Girl's breasts and Metamorpho continuity.

Cap will clearly be resurrected (if he's even really dead now, which I for one doubt); anyone who reads comics knows this, and one would hope even the outsiders have some idea after the whole Death of Superman farrago.

[baphomette.livejournal.com]

Christ, I really have been here a long time. I can dimly recall being confused by Oxford Street on my way there last year.

"rather than trolls obsessed with Power Girl's breasts and Metamorpho continuity"

Which shop does that refer to? Am I the only person who favours the basement in FP? I have asked questions in both shops and felt like an utter fool in Gosh as some young upstart gave me snotty "why don't you know this already?"* looks, but received enthusiastic replies and proper help from Jan (spelling may not be correct) in FP.

*It may well have been an idiotic question, but doubtless no more idiotic than any others I have asked of comic shop assistants in my life...

I'm not likely to read of Mr Rogers death any time soon, I'm waiting for the Civil War lot to come out as trades because any other attempt to read them in order will break my entire brain.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Even then you'll need to interlock various trades, and there are apparently some bits in the side-titles which flat out contradict the core book. I only read Civil War proper and the books I read anyway, though some of the new titles spinning out have good writers.

I am principally dissing Comicana, but Mega-City ain't great either. Orbital is very geeky but OKish; FP has always seemed terminally disorganised to me, and combine that with their chain status to leave me feeling unimpressed.

Your Gosh experience surprises me - OK, I am a geek, but I've always found them to be friendly to all. Well, except the French one, he is a bit hopeless.

[baphomette.livejournal.com]

Hmm, sounds like mental meltdon time. I'll try and read them in a nuclear bunker just in case.

FP was always delightful in Manchester (and all I witnessed of its kind) so I guess there's an underlying loyalty to it anyway. Gosh might get another chance next time FP haven't got what I want but I'll do my research first, I think.

The rude one was a tiny child faced boy* working in the basement. I don't remember him being French though...

*Not Trevor Lock.

[baphomette.livejournal.com]

I never actually bought anything downstairs in the Manchester one (apart from a Josie and the Pussycats collection for someone else's birthday present) so I guess I can't really compare the two. London FP is way more convenient for lunchtimes/the way home than Gosh is though (two tubes? = fuck off)

Civil War has been intriguing me though... I'll give it until the end of the third paperback and decide if I'm bored of it by then or not ;)

[baphomette.livejournal.com]

Arguing on the internet? GET IN!

Two tubes

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Eh? It's maybe ten minutes walk from FP, and it's right near the choice of two Piccadilly stations for Finny P!

Re: Two tubes

[baphomette.livejournal.com]

Are we thinking of the same one, near Russell Square? It's always been a right nightmare to find (and don't forget, I don't actually live in Finny P so I'm a Northern Liner, which makes Russell square a pain in the arse).

FP I can get to from work in 15 minutes. It wins

Re: Two tubes

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Yeah, it's between Russell Square and Holborn. I forget that you're not fully Local...

big comics Events like that are invariably shit

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I remind the honourable gentleman of DC One Million and request that he hand in his comics card on his way out.

(I also rather like the original Crisis on Infinite Earths, though I appreciate that's not quite so unassailable. And even Civil War I still feel has its moments)

Re: big comics Events like that are invariably shit

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Yes, but now what you've amended it to is 'big comics Events are invariably shit except for the ones which aren't', which is rather a key difference!

Certainly most of them blow, but I don't think hyperbole helps us explain why that is. And thinking about it, at present we're still in the throes of 52, which arguably counts.

Re: big comics Events like that are invariably shit

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I only buy the ones written by writers I rate - it's just that, alas, House of M and Civil War seem to have brought out the worst in Bendis and Millar.
Agreed that a Morrison Infinite Crisis would have been amazing, though. Slott...I like him a lot, but I don't think he's ready for that just yet.

[moleintheground.livejournal.com]

Gosh-

1) Doesn't smell
2) Gives equal weight to overground and underground.
3) Doesn't, however, womble free
4) is across from the British Museum, and feels as much a part of the cultural fabric as that great old institution of other countries' imported culture.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

And indeed, most of the comics I buy in Gosh are imported too, even when the writer and artist are Brits. Sometimes even when the company are British, it somehow makes sense to have it printed in Canada.

[baphomette.livejournal.com]

I can not sensibly reply to these arguments because I've got a head full of wombles now. Excellent diversionary tactics!

[elethe.livejournal.com]

Aha! Only last week I was reading the very bit of The Thousand Nights and One Night that deals with The End of Jafar .

According to that, although nobody really knows why Jafar was executed, the rumour was that Harunal-rashid married his beloved sister to Jafar just so he could spend time with both together without his sister's modesty being dented. Then the sister decides she would like to consumate the marriage and tricks Jafar into sleeping with her.

Jafar is a little upset. Even more so when Haroun gets very angry indeed (as he loves both his sister and Jafar in the sort of undefined way that can only lead to one thinking the worst/obvious).

I love 1001 Nights /100 Nights and a Night/The Arabian Knights/The Thousand Nights and One Night so much.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the book does offer that account, along with various others, but aside from totally contradicting each other, they all feel like they're leaving out all the most important details.
The best I can come up with is that Harun realised he was a bit gay for Jafar and was so appalled at himself that he had Jafar killed. But even that seems slightly OTT when they're both hanging out with the magnificently bent Abu Nuwas.

[elethe.livejournal.com]

I was compelled to go looking for the April Lavigne thing - I was almost as appalled and dismayed as I was watching the Norbert trailer.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

I had been meaning to seek a Youtube link and include it above; upon realising that I'd forgotten, I decided that it was, after all, better not to spread the horror.

[elethe.livejournal.com]

Just realised that it's Norbit rather than Norbert (and very kind of you not to spread the horror of the Lavigne. It is now lodged in my mind and will not be dislodged.)

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

We might somehow have managed to escape the fundamentalists, the plagues, the global warming - but 'Girlfriend' ensures that our civilisation is now doomed.

[puzzled-anwen.livejournal.com]

And rightly so...

[atommickbrane.livejournal.com]

It's not a cover of the Billie song? MUST TORRENT.

[barrysarll.livejournal.com]

Don't think so - this one sounds distinctly US.

[squirmelia.livejournal.com]

I actually wanted to go to B-Movie this month. Tch. Anyway, I'm going to see that new Lynch film instead, so should make it to the Tubewalk without a hangover.

[shewho.livejournal.com]

if you could possibly dress yourself as me and go to one of the places i'm meant to be tonight i'd be grateful! in fact, if you could go to both, that'd be even better, i'd like your quiet night in in return please!