My friend Lewis is really into comic books. Not Marvel or DC or any of your little brother's favorites- I'm sure he loves the classics as much as any Gen Y'er, but he specializes in esoteric, underground that you can only find in specialty stores or on amazon. He recently lent me the first in a series called "Priest," in which a padre has sold his soul to a demon and has to kick the asses of a bunch of other demons. I couldn't find any panels, so here's the cover:

I thought it was pretty "eh" after my first reading, mostly because the sketchy black-and-white illustrations are actually hard to decipher sometimes. There's also no real backstory or context, so I spent most of the time thinking "what the hell is going on?"

Not to be defeated, Lewis brought out another book that would pander to my love of satire: "Battle Pope."

This book is f*ing genius.

John Paul Pope is a hard-drinkin', womanizing pontiff who finds himself in big trouble on Judgment Day. Fortunately, God puts forward a deal through which JP can gain entrance to heaven if he saves St. Michael from the evil clutches of- you guessed it- Lucifer himself. With Jesus H. Christ at his side, His Holiness slays demons, rescues damsels in distress and insults the endowment of his foes, all to earn his salvation.

Now, I am by no means a graphic novel expert. Sure, I love the Sin City volumes but, admittedly, I didn't know they existed until I fell in love with the movie. From my limited experience, though, I can say that Battle Pope is illustrated beautifull, colored perfectly, and features awesome onomatopoeia like "whud," "kranng," and "snickt." My favorite part of all is The Zombie Twins, who at one point join forces to become SuperZombie, kind of a transformer. There's one negligible difference- instead of a helicopter or jetski, they turn into an ungainly, one-legged zombie mashup. This book is so damn cool that I occasionally pull it out just so people will see me reading it.

You may find the whole concept completely repugnant- I guess the notion of a sinful pope battling zombies is a LITTLE bit irreverant- but I'd suggest you give it a shot anyway. The book does a good job of not insulting religion itself, just the unfailing respect given to one man in a silly hat. If you can stomach it, and if you like impressive drawings of half-naked demon chicks, give Battle Pope a spin. And if you get past volume I, please lend me the sequels.

YMHOS
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So I was going to write a big long post about how the impending statewide smoking ban is lame (and I still intend to) but this piece of bloggy goodness was dropped in my lap this morning (thanks to the lack of decent editorials in the Minnesota Daily). I present to you: Pete Stark as an excuse to plug a campus event.

(by yours truly)

n March 12, U.S. Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., acknowledged his nontheism, calling himself "a Unitarian who does not believe in a Supreme Being." He's the first member of Congress and the highest-ranking official ever to go on record as a nonbeliever, and it's about time.

It's commonly accepted that identifying as an atheist is political suicide in the United States. According to the American Mosaic Project, a study conducted by the University's sociology department, atheists are the least-trusted minority in the United States. Surveys show that the majority of Americans would not vote for an atheist for president even if he or she were the most qualified for the office.

Of course, people used to have similar misconceptions about Catholics, Muslims, blacks and women. Perhaps Stark's declaration will dissolve some prejudices about freethinkers. Herb Silverman, president of the Secular Coalition for America, hopes that it will encourage other closet nontheists to come forward and demonstrate that nonbelievers aren't horned misanthropes, but valuable members of society.

Admittedly, Stark didn't have a whole lot to lose by "coming out." At 76, he's probably nearing the end of his political career, and the San Francisco Bay Area that he represents is one of the most liberal and secular in the country. With over 30 years of public service in Congress, he's well-established enough to take the risk.

In any case, it's a start. We can only hope that Stark's declaration will help Americans understand that nonbelievers are capable of great things.

If you're interested in learning more about secularism and politics, Lori Lipman Brown will be speaking at the University at 7:30 p.m. this Thursday. March 22 in 130 Murphy Hall. She is the first advocate to Congress explicitly representing nontheistic Americans. She will report on key issues she has lobbied for, upcoming issues in the 110th Congress, the reception she has received both on Capitol Hill and in the media and the changes she has noticed with the introduction of a new majority in both houses of Congress.

For more information on this event, check out http://cashumn.org.

YMHOS
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The University of Minnesota will be playing this Wednesday night at 7:30 p.m. in Ted Mann concert hall on the west bank of campus. Unfortunately, my face (or The Money-Maker, as it's widely known) will be hidden somewhere behind the director's stand for much of the program, so you'll have to amuse yourself with this repertoire:

Mendelssohn - The Hebrides Overture
Listen for: Mendelssohn wrote this after visiting the Hebrides islands and the whole piece is a tribute to crags and waves. Excellent imagery.
Copland - Quiet City
Listen for: trumpet and English horn soloists who will rock your world. Part jazz, part pre-post-rock
Nielsen - Aladdin Suite
Listen for: a wailing women's chorus and some bizarre orchestration.
--INTERMISSION--
Listen for: yours truly fighting off hordes of adoring fans.
Berlioz - March to the Scaffold (from Symphonie Fantastique)
Listen for: the end, where the protagonist gets beheaded followed by an all-too-cheerful fanfare.
Butterworth - The Banks of Green Willow
Listen for: pretty things, like the schmaltzy brand of music you hear at garden parties.
Copland - Hoe-Down (from Rodeo)
Listen for: You know in old Westerns, where they go into the saloon and there's this old-timey pianist playing burlesque kinda-ragtime? We got a time machine and brought one back to the future for this one.

YMHOS
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WWF (the hippies, not the spandex-clad brawlers) announced Thursday that the clouded leopard, native to Borneo, is actually a completely new species of feline. Although this news has nothing to do with prose, pop culture or post-adolescence, I think it's pretty damn cool. The powers that be think that it diverged from the leopards that we know and love about 1.4 million years ago.

And look how pretty it is! I'd adopt this guy over a plain old ordinary leopard any day. When I showed this picture to my friend Alex, he said: "It is pretty, so pretty I would like to kill one and make a coat and pants from him... then I would be pretty." He's right, too- I'm all for animal rights, but there's no way I could turn down a pair of clouded leopard-print flats. Or maybe a handbag. Oooh.

Anyway, you can read more about this gorgeous animal here .

Up next in the gospel: a comic book review, because my nerdery grows by leaps and bounds!

YMHOS
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I was just sending a friend of mine a MySpace message to ask if I could his paper on women and Islam in the story I'm writing for one of my journalism classes. After clicking "Send," I was greeted by the most terrifying and ineffective dating website advertisement in history.

"Waiting. For You." In the parking lot. With a hammer and burlap sack. And the fury of Neptune, the sea god, in my badly-photoshopped, cerulean eyes.

This ad does NOT make me want to sign up for True. It makes me want to cover up my vital organs and run away screaming.

Okay, kids-

Here's the scoop: I love my little corner of blogland, particularly when you fine people stop by and read and let me know what you think.  However, the hardest part of this whole affair is coming up with stuff to write about.  I know you don't want emogirl posts (if you did, you'd be on livejournal instead) but what DO you want?

In order to get some answers, I've registered heylo.blogthis@gmail.com.  I cordially invite each and every one of you to shoot me a note and let me know what kind of things you'd like to see.  Is there an album you want reviewed?  An Mp3 I may be able to help you find?  Want me to check out a pretentious coffee shop and tell you what I think?  The spirit is willing, but the creative juices aren't exactly flowing.

Or you could just leave me a lovely comment so I look popular.  Whatever works.

Coming next: If all goes according to plan, a review of Bloc Party's latest album and reflections on two University theater productions.

YMHOS
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Okay kids, I'm back and better than ever. Actually, that's a huge lie- I'm worse than ever because I'm doing an Oscars post. I know, faux-hypester from hell that I am, I should totally shun the yearly awards and say "none of these movies compare to this independent piece I saw in someone's garage." Unfortunately, being a slave to all things pop culture means caring jussst a little bit about the Academy Awards.

*Disclaimer* I'm only discussing the ones that people care about. Oh, and I've only seen like, three of the nominated films.

Actor in a Leading Role
(Leonardo DiCaprio in Blood Diamond, Ryan Gosling in Half Nelson, Peter O'Toole in Venus, Will Smith in The Pursuit of Happiness, and Forest Whitaker in The Last King of Scotland)
I'm going to level with you- the only film I've seen of these is Blood Diamond. While DiCaprio did a very, very good job I'm not sure if I would call his performance Oscar-worthy. I'm vouching for Peter O'Toole because Ryan Gosling was in the Notebook (more like the needs-to-be-Rewrotebook!), Will Smith should not get an Oscar for growing a moustache, and my movie-literate friend Keith tells me that Whitaker can only speak out of one side of his mouth.

Actor in a Supporting Role
(Alan Arkin in Little Miss Sunshine, Jackie Earle Haley in Little Children, Djimon Hounsou in Blood Diamond, Eddie Murphey in Dreamgirls, and Mark Wahlberg in The Departed)
You all know how I feel about Little Miss Sunshine, and Alan Arkin played one of its best characters- a gruff, porn-loving asshole of a WWII veteran who is also the best grandfather in history. Give the man his due.

Actress in a Leading Role
(Penelope Cruz in Volver, Judi Dench in Notes on a Scandal, Helen Mirren in The Queen, Meryl Streep in The Devil Wears Prada, and Kate Winslet in Little Children)
Once again, I've only seen one of these films. Although Meryl Streep blew me away in Prada, come on- it's a chick-lit adaptation. Everyone tells me that Mirren is going to take it, I'm keeping my fingers crossed for Winslet, one of the few classy actresses our generation has left.

Actress in a Supporting Role
(Adriana Barraza in Babel, Cate Blanchett in Notes on a Scandal, Abigal Breslin in Little Miss Sunshine, Jennifer Hudson in Dreamgirls, and Rinko Kikuchi in Babel)
If I hadn't seen Babel I would be raving about Breslin's portrayal of a charming, chubby baby beauty queen in LMS. Any other year I'd give her my vote, but Kikuchi's heartbreaking portrayal of a deaf-mute highschooler in Babel (which I reviewed here, by the way) made me cry. Several times, in fact. If she doesn't win I will be royally pissed.

Animated Feature Film
(Happy Feet, Monster House, Cars)
Who cares? Fine, Cars because Happy Feet was cute but trite.

Art Direction
(Dreamgirls, The Good Shepherd, Pan's Labyrinth, Pirates, The Prestige)
I'm actually amazed that the Oscar people sat through Pirates long enough to consider a nomination. SO BAD. The Prestige was an absolutely beautiful film, but I'm a sucker for puppetry and mythical creatures a la Pan's Labyrinth.

Cinematography
(The Black Dahlia, Children of Men, The Illusionist, Pan's Labyrinth, The Prestige)
I have to vote for the Prestige solely for the one scene where Christian Bale bounces a ball at Hugh Jackman in their final confrontation. Glorious.

Directing
(Babel, The Departed, Letters from Iwo Jima, The Queen, United 93)
I've already raved about the directing in Babel. Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is, in my humble opinion, the most gifted director of the moment. Please go watch this movie.

Documentary Feature
(Deliver Us From Evil, An Inconvenient Truth, Iraq in Fragments, Jesus Camp, My Country My Country)
I would put my money on Gore's Truth (it's showing in classrooms all over the place, plus it's super-topical) but I kind of hope that the award goes to Jesus Camp. It's a fair, balanced film about brainwashing that goes on at kid's Bible Camps- spine-tingling!

Annnnnd...

Best Picture
(Babel, The Departed, Letters from Iwo Jima, Little Miss Sunshine, The Queen)
Although I named LMS as my favorite film of 2006, I think that Babel is far more Oscar-worthy. Directed perfectly, acted masterfully, and written brilliantly, it definitely deserves that golden, naked little man.

YMHOS
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