5 Questions from marrog

[andrewducker]

1. What's the greatest graphic novel of all time, and why?
Tricky. I think I'll have to go for Dave McKean's Cages. Which has a plot, of sorts, but is mostly a series of meditations on art, music and God. It's gorgeous to look at, utterly entrancing and he tells several interlocking stories that come together beautifully.
If I could do a "director's cut" of Cerebus, it would be that, but sadly the writer/artist going stark staring mad halfway through means that I'd need to cut out a lot of stuff from about the 2/3 point. Shame really.

2. Recommend three books to me, and explain why.
A)Well, I already lent you "We need to talk about Kevin." which is one of the most heartfelt, honest books about adult life I've read. And despite being written by the mother of a mass-murderer it's touching and uplifting, if very hard to read in parts (for emotional reasons).
B)Stephen King's "IT" which is the story of a small town, a group of children growing up there, its history and the thing that lives in the sewers. It's King's paean to lost childhood and is utterly captivating. Of course, I haven't read it since I was about 22, so I can't guarantee it's utter quality, but I hope it's stood up well.
C)Signal To Noise, by Gaiman and McKean. In which a dying film-director makes one last movie in his head. One of my favourite things ever.

3. Is it worse to be incredibly cynical, or incredibly romantic?
Cynical. An incredible romantic will be repeatedly disappointed, but will occasionally find themselves in situations that make them incredibly happy. Cyncics will never be happy, because even when things are good they can't believe it.

4. If you could own one great work of art (your own definition of art applies) what would it be?
Probably Magritte's "The Empire of Lights", although I can't find a picture of it online that does the original justice. I saw it at the Magritte exhibition that came to Edinburgh and fell in love with it on the spot.

I'd also kill to own several pieces by Dave McKean - notably his Four Horsemen pages from Signal to Noise.

5. What's the worst physical injury you've ever had?
When I was in the OTC I fell out of a window during a training excercise on Salisbury Plain, hitting the ground back first, with the back of the helmet I was wearing sliding back to hit me in the neck. I spent two days in hospital and was very lucky not to have a broken neck. I've also had appendicitis, but that doesn't really count as an injury (although I do have a scar).

If anyone else wants 5 questions then go ahead and I'll think some up.

Comments

[kimberly-a.livejournal.com]

I'd take five questions, if you want to give them.

[andrewducker]

Sure thing - I'll get to it tomorrow, when my head aches less.

[andrewducker]

Two Serious, Three less so.
1) Choose a series you didn't like the end of - how would you rewrite the ending?
2) If you could have a different relationship with any one person, who would it be?
3) What movie are you most looking forward to this year, and why?
4) What thing in your life are you most proud of?
5) What movie should never have been made, and what should they have made instead?

[kimberly-a.livejournal.com]

Thanks! I've already answered. :-)

[andrewducker]

Good answers - except you missed the second half of question 5 :->

[kimberly-a.livejournal.com]

I said they should have made a movie with the same concept but better, because I would watch that. I couldn't think of anything else.

[wychwood]

Out of curiosity - I've yet to read more than a couple of pages of Cerebus, but I was discussing it recently with a friend who had read rather more until she was so put off by the treatment of female characters in the series that she couldn't go any further. Do you have any particular opinions about the presence and treatment of women in Cerebus? Did you even register it particularly?

[andrewducker]

Dave Sim, the writer is a misogynist. This isn't actually obvious until about 180 issues in, at which point his craziness becomes obvious.

However, there are still several very reasonable portrayals of women in the books, and at least two of the most reasonable and well rounded characters are women.

He's not terribly nice about men either, in fact. Generally fairly misanthropic - which is probably why the satire works so well.

[wychwood]

Thanks. I think I'll have to try reading some of it, if my library ever acquires vol. 1 to go with the copies of 2-9 they have on the shelf...

[andrewducker]

Should you ever be in Edinburgh I'll lend you volume 1. It's not actually that great (it's much simpler humour) but it sets up a lot of the stuff you see later.

[wychwood]

Thanks :) If I ever am, I shall take you up on that!

[channelpenguin.livejournal.com]

The misogyny was obvious much earlier if you read the original comics and thus the letters pages (and Dave's replies/musings) at the back.

[andrewducker]

Doesn't surprise me. I do think he has intermittent good points about the way the world works in his non-Cerebus writing. They're just sadly hidden under layers of insanity.

[ninox.livejournal.com]

I probably didn't get into Cerebus properly until Volume 3. I can definately recommend Andy's graphic novel collection though. My focus wasn't on the mysogyny factor, think there is definately a grudge against most things apart from the Marx Brothers and maybe apricot brandy!

[andrewducker]

How come you're never on MSN any more?

[ninox.livejournal.com]

Mainly because we have had problems with the internet recently, but other good reasons is that I have a really tight deadline for my course at the moment. I will be more socialable after first week in July. Oh and there is always the point that my mum seems to live online and haunts messenger.

[thishardenedarm.livejournal.com]

give me 5.

[andrewducker]

Two Serious, Three less so.
1) What book/TV show/movie/play/song/advert/whatever do you wish you'd written?
2) If you could have a different relationship with any one person, who would it be?
3) What movie are you most looking forward to this year, and why?
4) What thing in your life are you most proud of?
5) What movie should never have been made, and what should they have made instead?

[channelpenguin.livejournal.com]

'IT' is great. Very enjoyable. End is... *makes face* but it's an enjoyable ride, no doubt about it. Captures the essence of (a) childhood.

I love 'The Crow Road' (Iain Banks), though many people slag it off, for a similar capture of early young adulthood.



*laughs out loud at the bit about cynics* Damn right!

[eduard-green.livejournal.com]

five questions for me please! Im bored

[andrewducker]

Two Serious, Three less so.
1) What book/TV show/movie/play/song/advert/whatever do you wish you'd written?
2) If you could have a different relationship with any one person, who would it be?
3) What movie are you most looking forward to this year, and why?
4) What thing in your life are you most proud of?
5) What movie should never have been made, and what should they have made instead?

(yes, same questions as other people, but I'm slaving away, they're good questions, and I want to know your answers)

[oldbaldchris.livejournal.com]

Give me five too , why not :)

[andrewducker]

1) What do you miss most and least about Scotland?
2) What do you like most and least about Germany?
3) What was the hardest thing you ever had to give up?
4) Do you have any long term plans?
5) What character you've played do you have the most fondness for?

[oldbaldchris.livejournal.com]

OOooOO , I warrant different questions - cool! Ok , here goes :

1)The thing I miss most is being part of a group all of whom I`ve known for years , people to have a laugh with , indulge in nostalgia occasionally , go for a drink with and roleplay with - friends in other words. What I miss the least is the blind stupid blinkered view of the world that many brits (english , scottish and welsh) have. What is known over here as the "island mentality".
2)About Germany I love the standard of living. Not just the shop prices , but also things like even in the middle of the night I feel perfectly safe wandering around alone in the middle of town - and the health care which is bloody marvellous
3)Alcohol , with ciggys a close second. Everything else simply got boring making it easy.
4)At the moment we are planning our early retirement. I have no intention of working until I am 65 , I want to retire at 50.
5)King Shirain of Rhudaur , Cardinal of Tulkas and my second character ever made , by far the longest lived. First campaign I ever played in back in 1987 , and the GM was........Billy!

[andrewducker]

You gave up alcohol? Bloody hell. What brought that on?

[marrog.livejournal.com]

I have a print of The Empire of Light that I bought at the Guggenheim in Venice - do you want it?

[andrewducker]

Ooooh, so cool!

Yes please - although I'll come see it before I take it off of you, don't want to take it and then say "Actually, I can't think of anywhere to put it."

Thanks muchly!

[marrog.livejournal.com]

Definitely worth seeing it first - I don't remember what nick it's in (has been in a roll for a year and a half), but it's on pretty thick paper, so we'll see.

[johnbobshaun.livejournal.com]

I'll take five questions...

[andrewducker]

Two Serious, Three less so.
1) What book/TV show/movie/play/song/advert/whatever do you wish you'd written?
2) If you could have a different relationship with any one person, who would it be?
3) What movie are you most looking forward to this year, and why?
4) What thing in your life are you most proud of?
5) What movie should never have been made, and what should they have made instead?

(yes, same questions as other people, but I'm slaving away, they're good questions, and I want to know your answers)

[azalemeth.livejournal.com]

Ooh, question me :).

[andrewducker]

1) What's your favourite memory?
2) Do you have any long term plans?
3) What do you believe that you cannot prove?
4) Is there anywhere in the world you'd really like to visit?
5) What has taught you the most?

[ninox.livejournal.com]

Yay first night on the internet without it booting me off for ages. Quiz me 5 to celebrate!

[andrewducker]

1) Where do you want to be in 5 years time?
2) If you could change one thing in your past, what would it be?
3) If Aaron and Dave got into a fight, just how funny would it be?
4) What movie are you most looking forward to at the moment?
5) What's your favourite book, comic, movie and song?