The one in black is Templeton; the one in blonde may be Laurette

 

Due to circumstances beyond my control (the bitterly cold weather), I am forced to post some repeats from years ago and forego my usual Sunday escapades

This was meant to take on the world this was, but sadly it didn’t get very far! The Rover 800 had so many possibilities, so many variants could have been derived from it, but unfortunately the management was once again very quick to nip this beautiful car in the bud, and the Rover 800 would join that long line of ‘what-could-have-been’ motors that seem to pave British motoring history.

 

The origin of the Rover 800 goes back to the late 1970’s, when nationalised British car manufacturer and all around general failure British Leyland was absolutely desperate to fix its seemingly endless list of problems. The company had now garnered a reputation for creating some of the worst, most outdated cars of all time, the likes of the Morris Marina, the Austin Allegro and the Triumph TR7 being derided in both critical and customer reviews. A mixture of strike action by uncontrollable Trade Unions led by the infamous Red Robbo had meant that cars were only put together for a few hours per day on a three day week. As such, reliability was atrocious on a biblical scale, be it mechanical, cosmetic or electrical.

 

As such, in 1979, British Leyland began talks with Japanese car manufacturer Honda to try and help improve the reliability of their machines. The pioneer of this brave new deal was the Triumph Acclaim of 1980, BL’s first reliable car and not a bad little runabout. Basically a rebadged Honda Ballade, the Acclaim wasn’t meant to set the world ablaze, but it certainly helped get the company back onto people’s driveways, selling reasonably well thanks to its reliable mechanics (even if rust was something of an issue). As such, BL decided that from now on it would give its fleet a complete overhaul, basing their new models on Japanese equivalents. From 1984, the Rover 200 arrived on the scene, again, a rebadged Honda Ballade, while the Maestro and the Montego ranges also took on several tips from their Japanese counterparts, though they were primarily based on British underpinnings.

 

The Rover 800 however spawned quite early on, in 1981 to be exact. Following the catastrophic failure of the Rover SD1 in the American market, which only sold 774 cars before Rover removed itself from the USA altogether, the company was desperate to get another foothold across the pond. As such, the new project, dubbed project XX, would be the icing on the cake in terms of British Leyland’s fleet overhaul, a smooth and sophisticated executive saloon to conquer the world. However, plans were pushed back after the launch of the Montego and the Maestro, and thus project XX wouldn’t see the light of day again until about 1984.

 

Still in production and suffering from being long-in-the-tooth, the Rover SD1 was now coming up on 10 years old, and though a sublime car in terms of style and performance, it was now struggling in sales. Rover really needed to replace this golden oldie, and thus project XX was back on. In the usual fashion, Honda was consulted, and it was decided that the car would be based on that company’s own executive saloon, the Honda Legend. Jointly developed at Rover’s Cowley plant and Honda’s Tochigi development centre, both cars shared the same core structure and floorplan, but they each had their own unique exterior bodywork and interior. Under the agreement, Honda would supply the V6 petrol engine, both automatic and manual transmissions and the chassis design, whilst BL would provide the 4-cylinder petrol engine and much of the electrical systems. The agreement also included that UK-market Honda Legends would be built at the Cowley Plant, and the presence of the Legend in the UK would be smaller than that of the Rover 800, with profits from the 800 shared between the two companies.

 

Launched on July 10th, 1986, the Rover 800 was welcomed with warm reviews regarding its style, its performance and its reliability. Though driving performance was pretty much the same as the Honda Legend, what put the Rover above its Japanese counterpart was its sheer internal elegance and beauty, combined with a differing external design that borrowed cues from the outgoing SD1. The 800 also provided the company with some much-needed optimism, especially following the gradual breakup of British Leyland by the Thatcher Government between 1980 and 1986.

 

Following her election in 1979, Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher took a no nonsense attitude to the striking unions, and the best form of defence was attack. To shave millions from the deficit, she reduced government spending on nationalised companies such as British Airways, British Coal Board, British Steel and British Leyland by selling them to private ownership. For British Leyland, the slow breakup of the company started with the sale of Leyland Trucks and Buses to DAF of Holland and Volvo, respectively. 1984 saw Jaguar made independent and later bought by Ford, but when rumours circulated that the remains of British Leyland would be sold to foreign ownership, share prices crashed, and the company was privatised and put into the hands of British Aerospace on the strict understanding that the company could not be sold again for four years. With this move, British Leyland was renamed Rover Group, the Austin badge being dropped, and the only remaining brands left being the eponymous Rover and sporty MG.

 

In the light of this tumultuous period, many of Rover and MG’s projects had to be scrapped in light of turbulent share prices and income, these projects including the Austin AR16 family car range (based largely off the Rover 800) and the MG EX-E supercar. The Rover 800 however was the first model to be released by the company following privatisation, and doing well initially in terms of sales, hopes were high that the Rover 800 would herald the end of the company’s troubled spell under British Leyland. The Rover 800 was planned to spearhead multiple Rover ventures, including a return to the US-market in the form of the Sterling, and a coupe concept to beat the world, the sublime Rover CCV.

 

However, British Leyland may have been gone, but their management and its incompetence remained. Rather than taking the formation of Rover Group as a golden opportunity to clean up the company’s act, to the management it was business as usual, and the Rover 800 began to suffer as a consequence. A lack of proper quality control and a cost-cutting attitude meant that despite all the Japanese reliability that had been layered on these machines in the design stage, the cars were still highly unreliable when they left the factory.

 

Perhaps the biggest sentiment to the 800’s failure was the Sterling in America. The Sterling had been named as such due to Rover’s reputation being tarnished by the failure of the unreliable SD1. Initial sales were very promising with the Sterling, a simple design with oodles of luxury that was price competitive with family sedan’s such as the Ford LTD and the Chevy Caprice. However, once the problems with reliability and quality began to rear their heads, sales plummeted and the Sterling very quickly fell short of its sales quota, only selling 14,000 of the forecast 30,000 cars per annum. Sales dropped year by year until eventually the Sterling brand was axed in 1991.

 

With the death of the Sterling came the death of the CCV, a luxury motor that had already won over investors in both Europe and the USA. The fantastic design that had wooed the American market and was ready to go on sale across the States was axed unceremoniously in 1987, and with it any attempt to try and capture the American market ever again.

 

In 1991, Rover Group, seeing their sales were still tumbling, and with unreliable callbacks to British Leyland like the Maestro and Montego still on sale, the company decided to have yet another shakeup to try and refresh its image. The project, dubbed R17, went back to the company’s roots of grand old England, and the Rover 800 was the first to feel its touch. The R17 facelift saw the 800’s angular lines smoothed with revised light-clusters, a low-smooth body, and the addition of a grille, attempting to harp back to the likes of the luxurious Rover P5 of the 1960’s. Engines were also updated, with the previous M16 Honda engine being replaced by a crisp 2.0L T16, which gave the car some good performance. The car was also made available in a set of additional ranges, including a coupe and the sport Vitesse, complete with a higher performance engine.

 

Early reviews of the R17 800 were favourable, many critics lauding its design changes and luxurious interior, especially given its price competitiveness against comparable machines such as the Vauxhall Omega and the Ford Mondeo. Even Jeremy Clarkson, a man who fervently hated Rover and everything it stood for, couldn’t help but give it a good review on Top Gear. However, motoring critics were quick to point out the fact that by this time Honda was really starting to sell heavily in the UK and Europe, and people now asked themselves why they’d want to buy the Rover 800, a near carbon-copy of the Honda Legend, for twice the price but equal performance. Wood and leather furnishings are very nice, but not all motorists are interested in that, some are just interested in a reliable and practical machine to run around in.

 

As such, the Rover 800’s sales domestically were very good, it becoming the best-selling car in the UK for 1992, but in Europe not so much. Though Rover 800’s did make it across the Channel, the BMW 5-Series and other contemporary European models had the market sown up clean, and the Rover 800 never truly made an impact internationally. On average, the car sold well in the early 1990’s, but as time went on the car’s place in the market fell to just over 10,000 per year by 1995. Rover needed another shake-up, and the Rover 75 did just that.

 

In 1994, Rover Group was sold to BMW, and their brave new star to get the company back in the good books of the motoring public was the Rover 75, an executive saloon to beat the world. With this new face in the company’s showrooms, the Rover 800 and its 10 year old design was put out to grass following its launch in 1998. Selling only around 6,500 cars in its final full year of production, the Rover 800 finished sales in 1999 and disappeared, the last relic of the British Leyland/Honda tie up from the 1980’s.

 

Today the Rover 800 finds itself under a mixed reception. While some argue that it was the last true Rover before the BMW buyout, others will fervently deride it as a Honda with a Rover badge, a humiliation of a Rover, and truly the point where the company lost its identity. I personally believe it to be a magnificent car, a car with purpose, a car with promise, but none of those promises fulfilled. It could have truly been the face of a new Rover in the late 1980’s, and could have returned the company to the front line of the motoring world, at least in Britain. But sadly, management incompetence won again for the British motor industry, and the Rover 800 ended its days a lukewarm reminder that we really didn’t know a good thing until it was gone.

Disturbing appearances

Crippling depression

Triggering thoughts

Uncontrollable selfharm

They give me numbing shots to prepare me for the shocktherapy treatment

I've never felt such an overwelming fear. My mind is blurred, i cant even speak, my body is shivering, my sweat is cold and my blood is freezing. I know I wont make it this time. My heart is too weak. There is no heartbeat left anymore...

 

I took this picture of the moon, freehand, using my Nikon 1 V1 + FT1 (adapter) + TC-20E-III (2x) + 70-200 VRII.

EXIF-data should be all there.

And who said that burst mode was impossible because the camera had the uncontrollable urge to display every image for a few seconds? Not true.

Only central focussing: true (but hey: this is tele...).

BTW: equivalent focal range: 1080mm.

OK, next time, I'll use a tripod... (;-p).

This abridgement of Universal's 12-episode serial Buck Rogers stars Buster Crabbe as Dick Calkins' famed comic-strip space adventurer. Buck and Buddy (Jackie Moran) and are recruited to battle against modernistic gangster Killer Kane (Anthony Warde), by Wilma Deering (Constance Moore) and Dr. Huer (C. Montague Shaw). The duo travels to Saturn to get help in their mission, and after Buck and Buddy quell the internal struggles of the Saturnians, Buck triumphs over Killer Kane and his cosmic thugs.

Planet Outlaws Feature link: youtu.be/UD3xKy42KUY

 

Link to all 12 Serial Episodes:

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=iTtc-u3zFGk&feature=share&amp...

 

Starring Buster Crabbe, Constance Moore, Jackie Moran, Jack Mulhall, Anthony Warde, C. Montague Shaw, Guy Usher, William Gould, Philson Ahn. Directed by Ford Beebe, Saul A. Goodkind.

Buck Rogers and Buddy Wade are in the middle of a trans-polar dirigible flight when they are caught in a blizzard and crash. Buddy then releases a special gas to keep them in suspended animation until a rescue party can arrive. However, an avalanche covers the craft and the two are in suspended animation for 500 years. When they are found, they awake to find out that the world has been taken over by the outlaw army of Killer Kane. Along with Lieutenant Wilma Deering, Buck and Buddy join in the fight to overthrow Kane and with the help of Prince Tallen of Saturn and his forces, they eventually do and Earth is free of Kane's grip.

 

This is actually a pretty enjoyable serial, but it seems doomed to be forever overshadowed by the much superior Flash Gordon trilogy. Universal brought BUCK ROGERS out in 1939, in between their own chapterplays FLASH GORDON'S TRIP TO MARS and FLASH GORDON CONQUERS THE UNIVERSE; it also starred Buster Crabbe (but with his natural dark hair instead of Flash's golden curls) and although it is filled with space ships and weird gadgets, BUCK ROGERS lacks most of the elements that gave the Flash serials their intense emotional draw.

 

For one thing, there is none of the strong sexual charge that the Flash series had. Instead of nubile Dale Arden and sultry Princess Aura both competing for the hero's attention while the villain openly lusted for the heroine, Buck's epic featured Constance Moore as Col. Wilma Deering. Now, Moore is perfectly fine in her role, but she is after all a soldier in the resistance army and not a fair damsel in distress. She has a nice moment when she wrests a ray gun away from a guard and blasts her way out of her cell, but she and Buck seem to be merely chums on the same side.

 

Also, although BUCK ROGERS has plenty of futuristic gadgets (rayguns and buzzing spaceships which shoot sparks from their backs, teleportation tubes and invisibility rays), there are no grotesque monsters or nonhuman alien races on view. Prisoners have remarkably goofy metal helmets strapped on which turn them into docile zombies, and there are these homely goons called Zuggs moping around, but that's hardly as fascinating as Lion Men and Clay People and horned apes (that Orangapoid critter).

 

What's ironic about all this is that the comic strip BUCK ROGERS by Philip Nolan and Richard Calkins started in 1929, was immensely popular for many years and it success inspired the creation of Flash. Yet the Flash strip benefitted from the genius of Alex Raymond, one of the all-time great cartoon artists, and it produced stunning visual images (from the samples of Buck's strip I've seen, it was imaginative enough but pretty crude and drab). This contrast carried over to the serials.

 

Buck Rogers and his sidekick Buddy Wade (Jackie Moran) are pilots who crash in the Arctic in1938 and survive for 500 years because the 'Nirvano' gas they were carrying put them in a state of suspended animation. They both seem to adapt to waking up in the year 2424 pretty well, where I would think most people would be so traumatized it would take a while to adjust. In this dystopic future, the Earth is ruled by a mega-gangster called Killer Kane (another setback; Anthony Warde would be okay as a crimelord but he just doesn't have the imposing presence to convince me this guy can dominate an entire planet).

 

Luckily, Buck and Buddy have been found by the small resistance movement hopelessly trying to overthrow Kane from their hidden city. Here is Dr Huer (C. Montague Shaw, who I just saw in the UNDERSEA KINGDOM doing the same gig with his wild inventions) and Wilma Deering leading the good fight. For some reason I missed, everyone immediately puts all their trust in Buck and he pretty much takes over. (Maybe he's just one of those charismatic alpha males or something.) Most of the serial involves desperate trips back and forth to Saturn to enlist the aid of the isolationist Saturnians, and this means running the blockade of Kane's ships. The usual fistfights and explosions and captures and escapes normal for this sort of situation ensue. It's a lot of fun if you take it on its own terms, with a strong linear plot and likeable heroes, but it really never kicks into high gear and seems a bit drab.

 

It's interesting that some (but not all) of the Saturnians are played by Asian actors. Prince Tallen, who gets caught up in most of the fun, was portrayed by a very young Philson Ahn, and I thought for years this was the same guy who in 1972 impressed us as the head of the Shaolin Temple in TV's KUNG FU (he taught all the styles, really amazing if you think about it). Turns out that was Phiip Ahn, Philson's brother.

 

Dir: Ford Beebe and Saul A. Goodkind - 12 Chapters

 

BUCK ROGERS (1939): Director Ford Beebe, who also worked on Flash Gordon (1938), came straight from The Phantom Creeps (1939) and then went back to finish Flash Gordon Conquers The Universe (1940). Buck Rogers stars Buster Crabbe or, as his family knew him, Lawrence. Now, Lawrence ‘Larry’ ‘Buster’ Crabbe had previously starred in two Flash Gordon serials, a couple of Tarzan movies and a long string of westerns, so it was only natural for Universal to decide he was perfect as the heroic Buck Rogers, aka that blonde guy who saves the universe but isn’t Flash Gordon. Actually, Buster Crabbe wasn’t the first actor to play Buck Rogers in-the-flesh, so to speak.

That honour goes to an unknown man who played Buck in a Virginia department store, instead of their regular Santa Claus. Santa was off conquering Martians at the time, I think it was an exchange program of sorts. It strikes me that Buck Rogers is not unlike a male fantasy come to life. Just think of it – Buck gets to take a nice five-hundred-year-long sleep-in. With my busy schedule, I’m ecstatic if I can get twenty minutes nap on the weekend. Then, when he wakes up, Buck is the smartest, most dynamic guy around. In reality he’d be treated like something that’s escaped from the zoo. And finally, everyone needs Buck to go on exciting missions, fight the bad guys, test exotic equipment and crash rocket ships – out of the half-dozen flights Buck makes, he only lands successfully once. It’s easy to see the bullet cars used in the movie are the same ones from Flash Gordon’s Trip To Mars (1938), and even the script is rather suspect.

Planet Outlaws

This film is actually a compilation of the Buck Rogers serials that ran originally in 1939. The cliffhanger endings and recap beginnings have been edited out to make it flow better -- with partial success. Some new footage was shot for the introduction and summary. At the opening, there are some newspaper headlines about jets chasing flying discs, and the obligatory checkered V2 launch, etc. to add a modern segue. After that, it's pure 1939.

Sci-fi movie technology had come a long way in the 14 years since Buck's debut. Audiences had grown accustomed to sleek and pointy rockets, flying saucers, strange aliens, etc. The Buck Rogers style world-of-the-future must have looked oddly quaint. (if not laughable) Just why Universal Pictures thought re-releasing Buck Rogers was a good idea is a bit of a mystery. Kids who were 8 or so back in 1939 would be young adults in '53. Perhaps Universal was banking on those young adults would buy tickets for a trip down memory lane.

Plot Synopsis

After a bit of modern ('53) footage about the wonders of modern progress and "flying disks," the old serial begins. Rogers and Buddy crashed in the arctic while on a transpolar flight. They were in suspended animation due to the cold and a vague gas. A patrol finds them in the year 2500 and revives them. In the world of 2500, a despot named Killer Kane is trying to take over the world. The forces of good are holed up in the "hidden city." Buck arranges a decoy maneuver to elude Kane's patrol ships. They fly to the planet Saturn in hopes of finding help. On Saturn, the Council sees Rogers and party as the rebels, and Kane as the rule of law. Rogers et al, escape Saturn, return to earth and seek to disrupt Kane's bamboozling of Prince Tallen, the Saturnian representative. Rogers sneaks into Kane's city, interrupts the treaty signing and convinces Tallen of Kane's evil by revealing Kane's "robot battalion" (slaves wearing mind-control helmets). Rogers and Tallen get to Saturn and the treaty is signed. Rogers escapes Kane's patrols via the Dissolvo Ray which rendered them invisible. Rogers and the war council plan for war. Rogers enlists the Saturnians to help. Meanwhile, Rogers sneaks into Kane's city and de-zombies Minister Krenco to lead an uprising of freed robot-slave-prisoners. Rogers storms Kane's palace and puts one of the robo-slave helmets on Kane. The End

The industrial vision of the future is delightful to watch. The heavily mechanical look of everything is so radically different from the sleek rockets and glowing acrylic audiences were growing accustomed to. The space ships look like they were built at locomotive factories or steamship yards. They spew roman-candle sparks and smoke and buzz as they fly. There are no computers, no radar or electronics. It's a fascinating snapshot of what pre-electronic-age people thought the future would be like.

When originally released in 1939, the Killer Kane character was a thinly disguised allusion to Hitler. In 1953, Kane was intended to represent a communist despot. It wasn't as tidy a fit. The narrator sums it up voicing a hope that scientists will develop the means for men to stand up to today's dictators and make the world safe for democracy. In the early 50s, there's little question of who they meant.

Simple Colors -- One endearing trait of Buck Rogers is the simplicity of the characterizations. The good guys do nothing but good. The bad guys are pure bad. The good guys are crack pilots and sharp shooters and tough as nails. The bad guys do nothing but bad, have trouble hitting a flying barn and are easily knocked out with one punch.

Industrial Baroque -- Somewhat like the baroque era's compulsion to decorate every square inch with swirls and filigree, Industrial Baroque sought to fill every space with heavy-duty hardware. The sets, and especially the rocket interiors are like flying boiler rooms. Valves, pipes, levers, dials, wheels, large flashing light bulbs. To look more "high tech" in the 30s meant cramming in more industrial hardware. Buck Rogers' ships show more affinity for Captain Nemo "steampunk" than the proto-space-age of the 50s.

Family Resemblance -- There is a noticeable similarity in the sets and costumes of Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers. Even serials of the early 50s, like Captain Video and the various Rocketman serials, look more like Flash and Buck than George Pal. The industrial baroque look and costuming are distinctive, making them almost a sub-genre of their own. In that regard, Buck has a timelessness.

Another take on the story and additional background info.

A round-the-world dirigible flight commanded by US Air Force officer Buck Rogers (Buster Crabbe) encounters dangerously stormy weather above the Himalayas; said weather, along with disastrous panic on the part of Rogers’ crewmen, causes the aircraft to crash. The cowardly crewmen ditch the ship and meet quick ends, but Rogers and young Buddy Wade (Jackie Moran), son of the aircraft’s designer, survive the crash. The pair use a cylinder of “Nirvano” gas to place themselves into suspended animation until a rescue party can reach them, but an avalanche buries the ship and all searches prove fruitless; the dirigible and its two dormant inhabitants remain beneath rocks and snow for five hundred years.

Finally, in the year 2440, a spaceship unearths the wreck, and its pilots restore Buck and Buddy to consciousness. The holdovers from the 20th century soon learn that their rescuers are soldiers from the “Hidden City,” a pocket of resistance to the super-criminal who is ruling the 24th-century Earth–one “Killer” Kane (Anthony Warde). Rogers immediately pledges his support to Air Marshal Kragg (William Gould) and Scientist-General Dr. Huer (C. Montague Shaw), the leaders of the Hidden City exiles, and is soon en route to Saturn, hoping to convince that planet’s rulers to aid the Hidden City in freeing the Earth from Kane’s tyranny. To cement the Saturian alliance, Buck must battle Kane’s legions at every step of the way, with able assistance from Buddy and from Dr. Huer’s trusted aide Lieutenant Wilma Deering (Constance Moore).

 

Ever since its original release, Buck Rogers has stood in the shadow of Universal’s Flash Gordon serials; the studio encouraged such association by casting Flash Gordon star Buster Crabbe as a different sci-fi hero, obviously hoping that the chapterplay would capitalize on the goodwill generated by Flash Gordon and Flash Gordon’s Trip to Mars. The serial did succeed in reminding audiences of the Flash outings–but it reminded them of how much they had liked those serials and forced inevitable comparisons that were not in Rogers’ favor. Universal’s plans for a second Buck Rogers serial were quickly scrapped when the first outing failed to please matinee audiences; the intended Buck sequel was then replaced on the studio’s production schedule by–what else?–a third Flash Gordon chapterplay. Even today, Buck is typically dismissed by fans as a pale echo of the great Gordon serials.

It’s easy to see why Buck Rogers came as a disappointment to audiences expecting an outing in the Flash Gordon tradition. Its production design, while futuristic, is less quirky and more uniform than that of the Gordons; there are no monsters and no weird semi-human races besides the rather uninteresting Zuggs; there are also no supporting characters as developed or as interesting as Dr. Zarkov, Ming, King Vultan, the Clay King, Princess Aura, Prince Barin, and other major figures in the Flash Gordon chapterplays. And yet, taken on its own terms, Buck Rogers is far from a failure; it does not approach the Flash Gordon trilogy in quality, but then few serials do.

Buck Rogers’ script, by former Mascot writers Norman Hall and Ray Trampe, is fast-moving and manages to avoid repetition for most of its length. The trip to Saturn, the attempts to convince Saturnian leader Prince Tallen (Philson Ahn) of the justice of the Hidden City’s cause, the subsequent rescue of Tallen from Kane’s city, the second journey to Saturn to cement the alliance, and the attempts of Kane’s henchman Laska (Henry Brandon) to sabotage it–all these incidents keep the narrative flowing very nicely for the serial’s first eight chapters. As in many of Trampe and Hall’s Mascot scripts, however, the writers seem to run out of plot before the serial’s end. While Chapters Nine and Ten remain interesting (with Buck being converted into a hypnotized robot, Buddy’s rescue of the hero, and an infiltration of the Hidden City by one of Kane’s men), the last two chapters have a definite wheel-spinning feel to them, throwing in a redundant third trip to Saturn and an unneeded flashback sequence.

The last-chapter climax is also something of a disappointment, with Kane being overthrown quickly and undramatically instead of being definitively crushed. Here, Trampe and Hall seem to have been leaving room for the sequel that never came and trying to avoid duplicating the dramatic but very final destruction of MIng which closed the first Flash Gordon serial (and which needed to be explained away in the second). The other weak spot of the scripting is Buck and Buddy’s rather calm reaction when they realize that their old world (and everyone in it) is dead–and their extraordinarily quick adjustment to their new one. One wouldn’t have wanted the writers to dwell on our heroes’ plight (which would be absolutely crushing in real life), but I do wish Trampe or Hall could have given Buck and Buddy a few emotional lines about their displacement before getting on to the main action; Hall in his scripts for other serials (Hawk of the Wilderness, Adventures of Red Ryder), showed himself capable of far more dramatic moments.

  

As already mentioned, the serial’s visuals are less varied than those of the Flash Gordon serials, but that’s not to say they aren’t impressive by serial standards. Pains seem to have been taken to avoid duplicating too much of Gordon’s “look;” the spaceship miniatures are completely different than the ships in the Gordon trilogy, while Kane’s stronghold–probably the best miniature in the serial–is not the quasi-Gothic palace of Ming but rather an ominous, futuristic-looking version of New York City, complete with towering skyscrapers. The Hidden City’s great rock gates are also nifty, and the massive Saturnian Forum (a life-size set, not a miniature) is very visually impressive. The barren Red Rock Canyon area works well as the Saturnian landscape, but I think it was a mistake to also use the Canyon as the area between the Hidden City and Kane’s capital; Saturn and Earth shouldn’t look so similar.

 

The only major prop or set reused from the Gordon serials are the “bullet cars” from Flash Gordon’s Trip to Mars; they’re just as fun to watch in action here as in the earlier serial. Other incidental props and sets–Kane’s robot room, his mind-control helmets, the various televiewing devices, the anti-gravity belts, Dr. Huer’s invisibility ray, and the Star-Trek-like molecular transportation chamber–add further colorful touches to the serial., and are respectably represented by Universal’s always above-average array of sets and props. The Zuggs, the “primitive race” ruled by the Saturnians, are somewhat disappointing, however; while suitably grotesque-looking, they’re nowhere near as menacing or memorable–in appearance or demeanor–as their obvious inspiration, the Clay People in Flash Gordon’s Trip to Mars.

The serial’s action scenes are brisk and energetic, suffering not at all from a general lack of fistfights–thanks to the swift-moving direction of Ford Beebe (a Mascot veteran like writers Trampe and Hall) and his co-director Saul Goodkind (usually an editor). The few hand-to-hand tussles–most of them on the rocky hills of Saturn–are executed routinely but skillfully by Dave Sharpe, Tom Steele, Eddie Parker, and other stuntmen; the best of the bunch is the fight between Buck and a Kane man in the control room of the Hidden City, although this is more exciting for the suspenseful situation (Buck trying to close the gates that the henchman has opened to Kane’s oncoming armada) than for any particular flair in the staging.

Most of the action sequences consist of protracted chases and pursuits (both on foot and in rocketships), with occasional quick combats thrown in. Many of these lengthy chases are very exciting–particularly the long incursion into Kane’s city that occupies most of Chapters Three and Four, a great combination of action and suspense. Buddy’s later stealthy visit into Kane’s fortress to rescue Buck from the robot room, and the following escape, is also good, as are Buck’s skillful and repeated elusions of the rebellious Zuggs in Chapter Eight and the bullet car getaway in Chapter Six.

  

The cliffhanger endings are generally well-staged, with proper build-ups, but too many of them involve spaceship crashes that our heroes rather implausibly live through. The impressive collapsing forum at the end of Chapter Eleven and the bullet car crash at the end of Chapter Six provide nice variety amid the spaceship wrecks, but (alas) are also resolved by mere survival. Still, this is preferable to the blatantly cheating resolution of what is otherwise one the best chapter endings–Killer Kane’s pursuit of Buddy in a darkened council chamber and his apparently lethal zapping of the young hero. At least the resolution features a good stunt bit by Dave Sharpe.

The leading performances in Buck Rogers are all excellent (although most other critics would make a single exception; see below). Buster Crabbe, as always, makes a perfect serial hero–both genially cheerful and grimly serious, unassumingly polite and aggressively tough. As in the Flash Gordon trilogy, his down-to-earth attitude also helps to make the wild sci-fi happenings seem perfectly normal.

Jackie Moran (oddly “reduced” to serial acting only a year after playing Huck Finn in David O. Selznick’s big-budget classic Adventures of Tom Sawyer) does a fine job as Buddy Wade, handling his character’s frequent “golly, gee-whiz” lines in a low-key fashion that keeps Buddy from coming off as too naïve; his chipper but calm demeanor complements Crabbe’s well, and he has no problems carrying an entire chapter and part of another on his own.

Constance Moore, despite being saddled with perhaps the most unflattering costume ever worn by a serial leading lady (basically coveralls and a bathing cap), manages to come off as charming. Her Wilma Deering is self-possessed and capable-seeming but never too coldly efficient; she remains warmly likable even when piloting spaceships or explaining technology to Crabbe.

Henry Brandon is very good as Killer Kane’s chief henchman Captain Laska–suave and sly when acting as Kane’s ambassador to Saturn, haughtily arrogant when threatening people, and nervously jittery in the presence of his overbearing leader. Hard-bitten tough guys Wheeler Oakman and Reed Howes, along with the slicker Carleton Young , form Brandon’s backup squad.

As Killer Kane himself, perennial henchman actor Anthony Warde has been almost universally panned by critics as “miscast.” I have to dissent strongly, however; Warde does a fine job in the part and plays Kane with a memorable combination of viciousness and uncontrollable anger. The character is not a diabolical schemer like Ming, but rather a super-gangster who’s blasted and bullied his way to the top–and Warde’s bad-tempered, aggressive, and thuggish screen personality fits the part perfectly. He veers between intimidating ranting and harshly sinister sarcasm–as when he describes himself as a “kindly ruler” just after wrathfully sending a formerly trusted councilor to the robot room–but is quite menacing in both aspects.

Philson Ahn, brother of frequent serial and feature actor Phillip Ahn, does a good job as Prince Tallen of Saturn; he possesses his sibling’s deep and distinctive voice, which serves him well as a planetary dignitary. His manner also has a slightly tougher edge to it than his refined brother’s, which helps to keep the viewer in uncertainty in the earlier chapters as to whether Tallen will turn out to be friend or foe. Guy Usher plays Aldar, the head of Saturn’s ”Council of the Wise,” and does his best to seem suitably imposing and dignified, despite the almost comical way in which the “Wise” continually change their opinions–backing Kane, opposing him, giving into his demands, defying him, etc. Cyril Delevanti is enjoyable as a grumpy subordinate member of the Council.*

C. Montague Shaw has limited screen time, but is very good as Dr. Huer, balancing statesmanlike dignity with shrewdness and a touch of enjoyable scientific eccentricity (the last is particularly noticeable during his demonstration of his invisibility gas in Chapter Five). Energetic Jack Mulhall is typically affable and enthusiastic as Captain Rankin of the Hidden City, while Kenne Duncan has a rare good guy role as Mulhall’s fellow-officer Lieutenant Lacy. Perennial screen “underworld rat” John Harmon also plays against type as a Hidden City soldier, as does Stanley Price as a Hidden City pilot rescued from existence as a human robot. The dignified but stolid William Gould is good enough as Air Marshal Kragg, but I would have preferred a more dynamic actor in the role–Kragg is, after all, the top military leader of Kane’s enemies. Mulhall could have handled it well, as could Wade Boteler–who does an excellent job as the grim and concerned Professor Morgan in the first chapter, intensely instructing Buddy and Buck in the use of the Nirvano gas.

Lane Chandler also appears in the first chapter, as a military officer who demonstrates the Nirvano gas to a reporter played by another old pro, Kenneth Harlan. An unusually subdued Theodore Lorch is one of Kane’s councilors, while Karl Hackett has a good part as another councilor who gets into an argument with Kane that leads to Hackett’s being converted into a human robot (his terrified pleas as he’s dragged out of the council chamber are quite chilling). Al Bridge has some memorably sinister lines (“when this helmet is in place, you’ll never think or speak again”) in his periodic scenes as the slave-master of Kane’s human robots.

Unusually for Universal, several bit roles are filled by stuntmen; Eddie Parker and Tom Steele pop in as various soldiers and officers, but aren’t as noticeable as Dave Sharpe, who’s given multiple speaking roles as a Kane soldier, a Hidden City soldier, a Saturnian officer, and a Saturnian soldier. His ubiquity can get a little distracting at times, particularly since some of his appearances follow right on the previous one’s heels; he also seems to have a bit of trouble with the formal-sounding Saturnian dialogue, coming off as much more stiff and affected than in his co-starring turn in Daredevils of the Red Circle.

The serial’s music score, like most other Universals of the period, is an eclectic but usually effective array of stock music, some of it cues from the Flash Gordon serials but the majority of it culled from Universal’s horror features, including (most notably) Franz Waxman’s score for Bride of Frankenstein, which furnishes some memorable opening-titles music.

All in all, though Buck Rogers has its share of flaws, it also has more than enough virtues (the acting, the fast pace, the interesting sci-fi trappings) to make it a good chapterplay. Despite its similar themes, it shouldn’t be pitted against the Flash Gordon trilogy–a match it’s bound to lose–but rather judged against the field of competition in general. When judged in this fashion, it’s just as entertaining–and often more entertaining–than many serials with less shabby reputations.

 

*One has to wonder, though, why some Saturnians are Orientals like Ahn and others Occidentals like Usher and Delevanti; my own theory is that men from various countries emigrated from Earth to Saturn sometime before the bulk of the serial took place; this would explain the racial assortment and also explain why the Hidden City chooses Saturn in particular as an ally (as usual, I’m probably putting too much thought into this).

 

For my third (and probably final) 100 list I thought I'd take an interesting look at myself for an image. What you see on the let is plain, old me. That dark circle around my eye? Been that way my whole life. Every day I have to look at myself and see someone much older than I really am, the wrinkles, the glasses, the chronic exhausted appearance from the circles under my eyes (not to mention the white hairs that started coming in at 25!). Thanks, however, to contact lenses, mineral make up, high lights from the salon, good lighting and a hand from Photoshop I can be the person I want to be, although I went a touch heavy on the glow effect up there on my forehead. ; ) I didn't care to redo it, though, as this is merely a partial illustration of the truth, our perceptions, our own reality, and our own minds. God knows if I could change one thing about myself it would be my eyes.

I still say my life is proof that the truth is always funnier and stranger than anything anyone could imagine.

Now, onto the fun...

 

This is my third 100 list. My first has over 20k views and will be difficult to trump.

 

I once knew a pet Iguana named Sydney. He was killed by a bolt of lightning.

 

I still want more tattoos. I know of three; I am running out of real estate I am willing to devote, however, to ink, and now I will have to fly 3000 miles to get my tattoos done.

 

I read the final Harry Potter book in its entirety the day it came out. I had to take a nap after lunch time, but I still got it all in. I couldn’t wait to see how it ended.

 

Inexplicably I have turned into a bit of a girly girl as I push 30 (rapidly). Maybe it’s that I’ve finally learned how to take care of myself after years of neglect.

 

I miss my high school English teacher, Colleen Hill. I would love to have her feedback on my Blender Story.

 

I have always been drawn to tall, skinny men with dark hair and big noses. Ned in Pushing Daisies. Jeff Goldblum. I even think Allan Rickman is sexy as Snape in the Harry Potter movies. Adrian Brody. Yeah, that’s the type. Henry Rollins is on the list too, although he’s short. He stays for various other reasons.

 

I feel more like myself every day that passes since January 12, 2006.

 

I have a crippling, paralyzing, vertigo-inducing fear of heights and bridges. Yet I curiously love roller coasters, and don’t fear flying.

 

I love the smell in the air just before a big rain storm comes through in the summer.

 

The news hasn’t been the same for me since Peter Jennings died.

 

I met and fell in love with a man I met accidentally on flickr.

 

I am never changing my legal name again.

 

I got to see Elvis Costello on my 27th birthday. I got to see him again for my 29th birthday, opening for The Police.

 

If I ever had a kid I would want them to learn sign language and how to swim when they were really little.

 

I am frantically trying to find the motivation to finish my degree. You’d think my time unemployed would have allowed me to do so, but being unemployed and looking for a job is extremely stressful and the idea of medical terminology on top of that? UGH!

 

I hate the Cult of Oprah. God forbid a tv personality ever dictates who I vote for, what I buy for Christmas, or how I feel about myself. Shame on those housewives for worshiping her. Shame.

 

If I never go camping again in my life it will be too soon. Besides, with my luck, if I went camping in Oregon I’d be molested by a Sasquatch.

 

I had a pet budgie named Cecil when I was little and he could whistle the Bonanza theme song. Now I would feel guilty having a pet bird because I think birds should be free to fly.

 

Packing is dreadful. I have done it five times in two years.

 

I believe organized religion is the root of intolerance. But I’m not saying I’m an atheist, either. (Just some days.) But I won’t go to hell, because I think that’s total bullshit.

 

I had a cat named Spud Tater Piggy Puss Puss. We called him Spot for short.

 

It took me four years of active searching to find the perfect couch.

 

I am embarrassed about my birthmark every morning when I face the mirror.

 

I always tell people I love what I am really thinking and feeling, even when their potential reaction is terrifying.

 

I am afraid to have to take care of anyone again. But I would.

 

I want to listen more.

 

I love me a good drag queen. Always have.

 

I hated every second of passing through Nebraska. Even the time when we saw the errant camel and the giraffe, it wasn’t enough to make up for how much I just hate Nebraska.

 

My baby album stops about the age of 2. I don’t know what happened but documentation of my childhood is spotty after that.

 

Having my tonsils out at 28 wasn’t the worst event of my life, despite horrific warnings from friends and doctors. I’d still only wish it on a few people, but overall I enjoyed sleeping all day for two weeks straight. And I don’t snore anymore. : )

 

I only started enjoying food in the last few years. I was a picky eater until recently, and that included avoiding things that I now love. Like curry. Part of it was fear, and part of it was fear of my food allergies.

 

I can’t wait to go from a low G to a high D. Only my closest friends know what I mean.

 

I’m not graceful.

 

I can’t wait for my first real vacation with Patrick.

 

My imagination has been known to get the best of me.

 

I’ve had two amazing girls’ weekends: one in Vegas with my friend Amy and another in Lubec, Maine with my theatre girlfriends. They couldn’t have been more different in setting and activities, but the memories are just as important and wonderful from each experience.

 

I hate peanut butter, and in particular, Reese’s Pieces, which are the second-most vile candy in the world behind black licorice. However, I enjoy the miniature peanut butter cups because it’s the perfect chocolate to peanut butter ratio.

 

I love when I come in the house with the dogs after being outside and Gromit’s fur is all warm from the sun.

 

There are things I can do for myself that I prefer to pay someone else to do, like oil changes.

 

I have never been in a wedding aside from my own. When friends get married I usually wind up with the camera.

 

I tamed a feral cat I found in a dumpster. It took months of patience and cured meats, but it was worth it. She was the best cat ever. She was even toilet trained.

 

I am lucky enough to have three people in my life I can tell anything to.

 

I have all the confidence in the world thanks to community theatre. I have poor self esteem thanks to years of abuse and I have days of extremely painful insecurity and feeling like I’m less than.

 

I picked up a paintbrush and completed a painting for the first time in years the winter of 2008. It felt really great to return to something I love. The painting was a gift, and if I hadn’t had the inclination to do something for someone special I probably wouldn’t have dug out my paints.

 

I dropped my pink cell phone in a toilet. That was the end of that.

 

I love warm yellow cake, even without frosting.

 

I was nominated for Best Actress in a Musical for playing Rosie Alvarez in Bye Bye Birdie last year. I won. : )

 

I have bad joints and chronic pain. I try not to whine about it but sometimes I can’t help myself.

 

I threw a party in my backyard in the summer of 2007 complete with a bonfire. It was a mini high school reunion, only full of the people who wouldn’t go NEAR a reunion if you paid them. It was probably way more fun than our ten year would have been anyway, and a spontaneous drum circle erupted. I’m still not sure how I feel about that portion of the evening.

 

I have a knack for making strange friends in strange ways and despite how confident I was starting over wouldn’t be the end of the world…I’ve been pretty miserable.

 

I love stealing kisses in public. Not a gross display, just kisses.

 

I want to pay someone to clean house for me. If I never have to vacuum or clean a bathroom again it will be pure bliss.

 

I love meat but couldn’t do the Atkins diet because I love French Toast and potatoes too much. And stuffing. God I love stuffing!

 

Holding hands with someone you love is underrated.

 

When my step daughter spends the night at my house we stay up all night talking like teenagers. I am always exhausted the next day but it’s worth it.

 

Sometimes I need inspiration to do the simplest things. Without that motivation I slack on things. With motivation I’ve been known to go against my very instinct and not regret it afterward.

 

While I love spending time in a pool I am actually terrified of water because I suck at swimming.

 

Sometimes I find routine comforting. Other days it makes me crazy. I need a healthy mix.

 

I still prefer cats to dogs by a small margin. If dogs could purr it would be an even split.

 

I want to save more room for dessert when I go out. I so rarely order dessert.

 

I wish I had spent more time in NYC when I was working there part time. I would work, go to dinner, and crash. I should have had my camera out.

 

My parents are talking again after a nasty divorce. I’m still not talking to my mother and vice-versa.

 

I am desperate to spend a month in Australia. I also want to see the “snow monkeys” in Japan. And maybe the lemurs on Madagascar.

 

I have an inexplicable and uncontrollable urge to dance when I hear a shitty, catchy techno song. I even own a few horrible tracks. Thank you, iTunes.

 

Summer isn’t long enough.

 

One morning a couple of years ago at the office I ate one of those Entenmann’s Raspberry Strudel things in one sitting. I was mortified when I realized it was gone before lunch time, but dammit I was hungry and it was tasty.

 

I’ve been really, truly in love twice in my life. I consider myself lucky to have found it that many times.

 

I have a nervous stomach. When I’m stressed I always feel like curling up in a ball and clutching my stomach until it passes.

 

I love watching cats clean their faces.

 

I had the best moment of my life when I was alone, utterly alone, in the desert. I was in Sedona, driving, and I yelled out loud, “I LOVE MY LIFE!” But I still prefer to share life with others.

 

I have my days I consider selling all my photography equipment and walking away for good. I wonder if I would miss it, or if anyone would notice.

 

I think women should have evolved beyond a monthly period by now.

 

I wonder what it would be like to be a dog walker instead of working in an office.

 

I’m still fearful, almost five years after my near-death experience, when I see a white pick up truck coming at me.

 

I own a good number of CDs I rarely listen to. But I know if get rid of them I will want to listen and it will be too late. So I keep them.

 

My last tetanus shot hurt worse than my tonsillectomy.

 

My only regret? I should have had a lot more sex with more people. Sad but true. What’s a number, really? (Don’t tell my step daughter that.)

 

Morrissey walked off stage after 7 songs when I finally got to see him. I was unable to go see the rescheduled concert, sadly.

 

I cannot resist a pair of pin-up style heels.

 

As much as I love my heels I practically live in my Birks during the summer.

 

I won’t swim in the ocean and in exchange I won’t eat fish of any kind, ever. Me and the ocean, our relationship ends at wading.

 

My father tortured my best friend and I for years, he refused to tell us the “dirtiest joke” he’d ever heard until we were 18. After years of anticipation…the joke really sucked. However, I have since learned the world’s most tasteless joke and enjoy springing it on people.

 

My bread machine was one of the best gifts ever.

 

I text message all the time with my step daughter. 21st century parenting…

 

One of the scariest things I’ve ever seen in my life was my dog Gromit being attacked by another dog. I have raised both of my dogs since they were just 8 weeks old and I thought I was going to see one of my babies killed.

 

When I get around to buying a home I am going to have a hot tub. Or a giant whirlpool tub in my bathroom. I just need a big, deep, warm, bubbly tub at my disposal.

 

I have been separated by thousands of miles from someone I care about, and I have seen the sun rise while we’re still on the phone talking.

 

I finally stopped wearing my retainer in the last year without major recourse. I haven’t gotten rid of it yet, though, just in case. I would be miserable if I hadn’t gotten braces 11 years ago.

 

My hands are always in rough shape, with scratches and scars, I don’t know what I do to myself but my hands take a great deal of abuse.

 

But I have cute toes.

 

I hated the idea of “romance” until I was presented with it. Now I’m smitten.

 

I need to throw away more things.

 

I love those giant fruit bats that look like Chihuahuas. Maybe it’s because I had a pet Chihuahua growing up.

 

I was in a car with four other people one night in Hackensack, NJ and went to a White Castle at 1:30 in the morning where we ordered “fifteen cheeseburgers”, when asked if we wanted anything else the driver yelled, “oh, and a small diet coke!”

 

I love argyle socks and stockings.

 

I still fear shooting weddings strictly digital - I know just as much can go wrong with film, but I’ve never gotten over that mental hump. That and I hate having to work up all the photos myself afterwards instead of dropping off film.

 

My photo of me with The Proclaimers is one of my favorite photos in the world! My best friend and I can sing along to the album Sunshine on Leith complete with an amazing accent, and we had so much fun at the show last year!

 

I can’t sleep with any lights on in my room, even the LED of an alarm clock or VCR gives me a massive migraine the next morning.

 

Both of my dogs answer to the name, “Asshole!”

 

I am the woman who rescues baby birds from the ground and turtles from the middle of the road.

 

I missed out on most of my 20s. I am working hard to make up for it.

 

Monday evening Casper had to be dropped off at the vet's office to be neutered, along with his two baby bottles, a gallon of whole milk, his heating container and all of my "baby goat" instructions. Molly accompanied him to FINALLY get spayed. Blizzards and car woes had kept her from making 3 previous appointments.

 

Their surgeries were scheduled for early Tuesday morning. I was told that the office staff fell in love with Casper, as I truly don't think they get too many goats ( especially ones who don't realize they are a goat and act more like a real baby than an animal ).

 

The vet who performed the surgery now keeps Casper's photo on her cellphone screensaver, so says the office staff.

 

Upon calling before making the trip to pick them up, I got some info before initially seeing them.

 

I decided Molly was going to be the bigger handful, so I told the office girls I needed to take care of getting Casper to the car first. The office girl walked towards the back behind closed doors to get him. She walked back out with a furry white boy in her arms. She had a huge smile on her face, as you could tell they very much liked him. Upon placing him in my arms, he kept licking and licking my lips. More than he has EVER licked them. He was literally pushing his head towards my face with his mouth. Another vet was walking through the waiting room and witnessed this. He said "that little fella sure does like you a lot"..... He also advised getting his horns removed as he said they can be lethal. They are getting very pointy. He is going back with the other goats so they must stay on.

 

The office girls told me that when they took Molly out of her vet cage to walk her, when she first walked by Casper's cage amongst the many other cages full of animals.....she stopped at his cage and did a little dance and got so excited to see him. They said it was unbelievable that she spotted the familiar face and that she loved him so much.

 

I had already warned them on the phone before I came that Molly would move her whole body all around and wag her tail uncontrollably when she first would see me. I asked them how we could prevent that so it would not hurt her surgery area. They told me they've already seen it happen when she saw Casper and that she was OK. Just to let it happen.

 

They walked me back behind the doors where they'd come with Casper so we could get Molly. I saw all of the other animals in the cages who apparently were surgery patients too. The MINUTE Molly saw me, she let out this yelping like she's never done before and her whole body started doing a little "happy dance" and moving everywhere. I was afraid she would jump up on me so I went down to her to put her leash on. She was moving so fast and hard, the office girl had to hook it to her collar while I tried to hold her still. She just wanted to go home.

 

Casper was placed in a travel carrier and Molly stood on the seat beside me with her nose sniffing the air driving the half hour home. I lock the windows so she can't accidentally put the window down any further. Her snout out is good enough....a dog head and body hanging out of a car window has always made me think they could fall out.

 

She and Casper have certainly bonded even more now. They both lost their "parts" together and they both certainly stood out at the vet's office for having their own unique personalities.

 

I must say it was nice not to have to do the baby bottle, pee towels so often, the hay mess, the ruined houseplants, paperwork and keep Casper out of so much mischief because he is getting older.....but I missed Molly..LIKE CRAZY. I missed Casper too, just not the ton of work that goes along with him.

 

For those who have just lost a dog, I thought of you so much with Molly being gone for just a short period of time. It felt so empty. I found myself looking all around when I would even go outside, as she goes with me every single time I walk outside.

 

Any suggestions as to get HUGE pain med in Molly....she needs them for three more days and she keeps leaving it in the bottom of the bowl. I first tried to give her the pill half in cheese and she spit it out. Normally I would crush it, but she only has one huge pill left and I didn't want crushed pill spit out or I would never be able to retrieve it. Finally I did crush it and put it in a small bowl of cereal with milk. She left the milk covering the very bottom of the bowl...probably where her pain meds are. The pill ( Dermaxx ) is as big as a quarter and I half it. She gets 1/2 a day for 4 days.

 

Thanks....for listening to "The Adventures Of Molly and Casper"... : )

Pataphysical Studios was bursting with art, poetry, music and dance on this first sunny day of the season. The good doctors spent an enchanted afternoon playing together, diving fearlessly into wondrous new dimensions.

 

This week, we had two new visitors: Dr. Rafe and his son Dr. Leo, who picked up the vibe right away and seemed to enjoy this next-to-last demo of the ‘Pataphysical Slot Machine, before its move to the Figurines Ranch. We also held an initiation ceremony for Dr. Jardin, who received her own purple lab coat from Dr. Rindbrain, to the ritual chant of ‘Gooble gobble, we accept her, one of us’.

 

We then discovered another important new ritual: dance breaks! As ‘Johnny Be Good’ started playing, we all started shaking our buns uncontrollably -- and kept on rockin’ through many more tracks from the past. … Judging from the grins on everyone’s faces, this is likely to become a mandatory ritual from now on (albeit a hard one to shoot in low-light, pardon the blurs).

 

In other news, Drs. Igor and Rindbrain taught calligraphy to Drs. Canard and Figurine, so they may make many more words beautiful. Dr. Skidz concocted mysterious plans to paint an art virus on canvas. Dr. Canard whistled to the Golden-Crowned Sparrow, who just flew back in our neck of the woods. Dr. Figurine added a new infinity snake symbol from Dr. Rindbrain to her coat. Dr. Fabio got the sounds working for the Bali Cuckoo Clock and Time Flies wonderboxes. Dr. Igor got all other boxes to play sounds, except one: Mother of Yes — which we will tame next week, just in time for our move. :)

 

Spring is back in the inspiration island. Time for all art makers to come out and play … Follow your bliss!

 

View more 'Pataphysical photos: www.flickr.com/photos/fabola/albums/72157623637793277

 

Watch 'Pataphysical videos: vimeo.com/album/3051039

 

Learn more about Pataphysical Studios: pataphysics.us/

Fiat S76 Record (1910) Engine 28,353cc S4

Production 2

FIAT SET

www.flickr.com/photos/45676495@N05/sets/72157623665060711...

 

The Fiat S76 Record was built by Fiat in an attempt to take the World Land Speed Record then held by the Blitzen Benz. Powered by a 28,353cc four cylinder engine, producing 290bhp compressed air starting with 3 spark plugs per cylinder, ignition with low voltage magneto, water cooling, transmission with chain, axle suspension rigid with front and rear leaf springs (rear longitudinal struts), 4-speed gearbox plus reverse gear.

 

The first car constructed was retained by Fiat and was tested by Felice Nazzaro who declared the car uncontrollable.

The second S76 was sold by Fiat to Russian Prince Boris Soukhanov, in 1911. Soukhanov originally hired Pietro Bordino to drive the car on the Brooklands motor racing circuit in Weybridge, Surrey, England. Bordino refused to drive the car faster than 90 mph. It was later driven at the Saltburn Sands beach near Redcar & Cleveland where it reached 116mph. Soukhanov then hired American driver Arthur Duray in a December 1913 land speed record attempt at Ostende, Belgium. Duray managed a one-way speed of 132.27 mph (213 km/h), but was unable to complete a return run within the hour allotted. The Beast of Turin was granted an unofficial title of world's fastest car due to this speed, but not made official due to being unable to complete the run within the time limit.

 

Following the end WW1 the first S76 built was dismantled by Fiat at the end of 1919. Soukhanov's S76, missing its engine, ended up in Australia, where it was rebuilt and re-powered with a Stutz engine. The S76's career ended when it was crashed at Armadale in the early 1920s while practicing for a race to the coast. In the 1950s, it ended up with early collector Stuart Middlehurst. Middlehurst took the S76's Rudge wheels and hubs to restore one of his Hispano-Suizas. Middlehurst then gave the chassis to Neville Roberts. The chassis was later purchased by Brian Arundale in the 1980s, who identified it as the S76, but no major restoration work was made.

 

Duncan Pittaway obtained the chassis of Soukhanov's S76 in 2003 and had it shipped to the UK. After the discovery of the surviving S76 engine from the sister car, Pittaway started the rebuild of the S76. Three major parts of the car needed to be recreated from scratch including: The double chain-drive gearbox, the body, and the radiator. All were created by referencing original Fiat drawings, and period photographs. In November 2014, Pittaway and a team of motorists managed to return the S76's engine to working order, although more work was needed before the car was fully operational again. This was completed in 2015 and the "Beast of Turin" was displayed and driven for the first time in almost a century at the Goodwood Festival of Speed between 23 – 26 June 2015. followed just two weeks later by its apearance and timed assault of the Chateau Impney Hillclimb

 

Many thanks for a fantabulous

47,933,972 views

 

Shot at the NEC Classic Car Show 13:11:2015 Ref. 112-192 .

Dérive

W: 19.2 L: 10.8 300PPi

 

Digital Photography

 

25 sec | F2.8 | ISO 4000 | 14mm

 

Out of all the photos I had to edit I believe this one is the strongest. Originally I framed to be lower to the ground however re framing from a higher vantage pulled the view into the scene. Lighting was pretty standard. The only problem I ran into was lighting deeper into the scene. The further the path got the harder it got to light. I even attempted to drive my car pointed into the road to get the high beams however it was very harsh uncontrollable light. Because I was not able to light the scene completely the camera created this ugly noise grain in areas where there was no true light.

 

This photo will bring the element of depth to my concentration for it really draws the viewer deeper down the road and up towards to cosmos.

How silly is that? It's like adding yet another uncontrollable.

 

One step at a time, Sweet Jeepers, as it says on the can.

Laying his son at his final resting place , His heart grows with hate and uncontrollable rage

Twin knights with opposite elements, but the same goal. Ahkuva is brutal and almost uncontrollably aggressive. He destroys whatever he feels is in his way. Unlike his brother, he eviscerates his enemies. When he kills, his target is a fraction of their former self. HIs favorite moments are when his brother says "have at it" at which point he goes to decimate villages.

 

4th Wall: These took a long time to make. Ahkuva, the shadow knight has been done for a while, but I wanted to make sure they got done right and photographed together. Ahkuva was easier to build because I had the parts ready. He uses a measure of old gunmetal, new gunmetal, and the new flat silver color, and they mesh together well because of how they're spaced out. I like the way he turned out. Comments are of course welcome.

Pataphysical Studios was bursting with art, poetry, music and dance on this first sunny day of the season. The good doctors spent an enchanted afternoon playing together, diving fearlessly into wondrous new dimensions.

 

This week, we had two new visitors: Dr. Rafe and his son Dr. Leo, who picked up the vibe right away and seemed to enjoy this next-to-last demo of the ‘Pataphysical Slot Machine, before its move to the Figurines Ranch. We also held an initiation ceremony for Dr. Jardin, who received her own purple lab coat from Dr. Rindbrain, to the ritual chant of ‘Gooble gobble, we accept her, one of us’.

 

We then discovered another important new ritual: dance breaks! As ‘Johnny Be Good’ started playing, we all started shaking our buns uncontrollably -- and kept on rockin’ through many more tracks from the past. … Judging from the grins on everyone’s faces, this is likely to become a mandatory ritual from now on (albeit a hard one to shoot in low-light, pardon the blurs).

 

In other news, Drs. Igor and Rindbrain taught calligraphy to Drs. Canard and Figurine, so they may make many more words beautiful. Dr. Skidz concocted mysterious plans to paint an art virus on canvas. Dr. Canard whistled to the Golden-Crowned Sparrow, who just flew back in our neck of the woods. Dr. Figurine added a new infinity snake symbol from Dr. Rindbrain to her coat. Dr. Fabio got the sounds working for the Bali Cuckoo Clock and Time Flies wonderboxes. Dr. Igor got all other boxes to play sounds, except one: Mother of Yes — which we will tame next week, just in time for our move. :)

 

Spring is back in the inspiration island. Time for all art makers to come out and play … Follow your bliss!

 

View more 'Pataphysical photos: www.flickr.com/photos/fabola/albums/72157623637793277

 

Watch 'Pataphysical videos: vimeo.com/album/3051039

 

Learn more about Pataphysical Studios: pataphysics.us/

French postcard by Editions P.I., Paris, no. 34. Photo: Teddy Piaz.

 

Character actor Raymond Aimos (1891–1944) or simply Aimos was one of the familiar faces of the French cinema of the 1930s and early 1940s. During this golden age of poetic realism, he was the quintessential 'Titi Parisien' (Parisian kid) in at least 105 films. His film characters generally corresponded with himself: humble, poor, colourful, cheeky but with a heart of gold.

 

Raymond Aimos was born as Raymond Arthur Coudurier in La Fère in the North of France in 1891 (1889 (sic) according to IMDb and other sources). He was the son of a watchmaker-jeweler and was expected to work in the family business but young Raymond was uncontrollably attracted to show business. He managed to become an opera singer under the stage name Aimos. According to urban legends, retold by different sources, he made his first film appearance as a kid either in the Lumière brothers’ L’arroseur arose/The Sprinkler Sprinkled (1895, Louis Lumière) or in a film by another legendary film pioneer, Georges Méliès. (In the first film, the naughty boy was Benoît Duval). However, officially Aimos made his cinema debut in the short silent western Pendaison à Jefferson City/Hanging at Jefferson City (1910, Jean Durand) with Joë Hamman and Gaston Modot. He appeared in more early silent shorts, like the Onesime comedies Onésime et le nourrisson de la nourrice indigne/ Onesimus and the infant unworthy of the nurse (1912, Jean Durand), Onésime a un duel à l'américaine/Onesime has an American-style duel (1912, Jean Durand) and Onésime horloger/Onesime, Clockmaker (1912, Jean Durand), all starring Ernest Bourbon aka Onésime. A decade later, Aimos appeared in the Three Musketeers-sequel Vingt Ans après/Five Years Later (1922, Henri Diamant-Berger), based on the novel by Alexandre Dumas père. These film parts had all been modest, but Aimos’ lucky strike would be the coming of sound.

 

Aimos' physical appearance, his popular roots and mostly his gift of gab were in perfect harmony with the sound cinema of the 1930s. He was wonderful as a humble man of the people in two masterpieces by René Clair, Sous les toits de Paris/Under the Roofs of Paris (1930) starring Albert Préjean, and Quatorze juillet/July 14 (1933) with Annabella. It lead to more work for important directors. He appeared for Raymond Bernard as a soldier in the war drama Les croix de bois/Wooden Crosses (1932) with Pierre Blanchar, and a clochard in Amants et voleurs/Lovers and Thieves (1935) with Arletty, for Sacha Guitry as another clochard in Ils étaient neuf célibataires/Nine Bachelors (1939), for Marcel Carné as Quart-Vittel, the wreck in Quai des brumes/Port of Shadows (1938), and for Jean Grémillon in Lumière d'été/Summer Light (1943) starring Madeleine Renaud. His most memorable roles were in the films by Julien Duvivier, such as Mulot, the legionary friend of Jean Gabin in La Bandera, and Tintin, one of the five friends who build a riverside café after winning the jackpot in the lottery in La Belle Équipe with Jean Gabin and Charles Vanel. He also appeared in Duvivier’s Paquebot Tenacity and L’homme du jour. At IMDb, Guy Bellinger writes: “But even when he worked for less distinctive directors his presence was an asset for the film.” Some of these films now belong to the highlights of the Poetic realism, a French genre of the 1930s of lyrical, stylized and studio-bound films which offered a fatalistic view of life with their characters living on the margins of society, either as unemployed members of the working class or as criminals. Raymond Aimos was a courageous man in life. In August 1944, he decided to take part in the uprising against the Nazis which would lead to the Liberation of Paris. He was unfortunately hit by a stray bullet in the 10th Arrondissement. The exact circumstances of his death remain unclear and undetermined. He was only 53. Raymond Aimos never married and had no children. But he left an impressive film legacy, according to some sources he even appeared in nearly 450 films (IMDb only mentions 105 films)!

 

Sources: Simon Benattar-Bourgeay (Ciné-Artistes), Guy Bellinger (IMDb), Les Légendes du Cinéma (French), Wikipedia (French) and IMDb.

 

And, please check out our blog European Film Star Postcards.

THE GREATEST GIFT OF ALL - Artist Statement

by Matt Ward

 

Frozen isn’t my favorite Disney picture, but it’s a guilty pleasure of mine. Guilty, because I watched it alone as a full-grown adult, and found myself falling madly in love with the flaxen-haired snow goddess, Elsa. But then, I’ve got a long history of loving on cartoon characters of a particular sort.

Probably due to my past infatuation with (New) Teen Titans’ Raven, I was evermore conditioned to fall for characters whose talents or superpowers made them weird, dangerous, uncontrollable, and in many ways, doomed—the burgeoning human need to interact and express themselves puts them in constant danger of destroying all that they aspire to protect. That song remains the same, from Wolfman to Witchblade to Wicked, that essential humanity will not be denied. Eventually it boils over. (Tragedy’s a hell of a drug. I love it.)

Also due to the fact that not only is Elsa sexier than a Pininfarina-styled wet dream—her upswept mane of dangerous, dragon-like curls folded into a slinky French braid, and her gossamer-thin gown cling-filmed to all her most salient peaks, valleys and mounds—but for two years, there was no place to hide from her voice, her anthem, or her predatory glare (and Anna’s comparatively earnest gaze), being advertised on television or in all sorts of public spaces, accessories and apparel, cereal boxes, even a birthday party in my next-door neighbor’s backyard. The record-smashing worldwide gross and prolonged Disney blitz made the cups of popular culture runneth over.

I was bored for a spell (and busy with other things), but with my mill immersed in a miasma of familiar-smelling grist, it was only a matter of time before I would move to consummate my feelings, pick up my Wacom tablet, and draw Elsa and Anna doing something un-Disney-like, with a requisite level of un-Disney-like modesty.

 

‘THE LAND THAT NEVER MELTS’

The setting is based on the Akshayuk Pass section of Auyuittuq National Park in Baffin Island, Nunavut. Mount Thor is visible on the left. I compressed the range in order to fit the tall and narrow canvas, and filled the bottom of the pass with a frozen lake. The clouds and lake ripples were produced with texture brushes I made from Googled photos of other frozen bodies of water (particularly Abraham Lake in Alberta), and different cloud species (mostly altocumulus, cirrus and cirrocumulus.)

I was originally inspired by the proliferation of methane bubbles in Abraham Lake, which freeze while en route to being expressed at the surface, making it look as if you’re walking on fathom-deep stacks of CD’s and coins. Later on, I felt that a huge methane bubble didn’t make a very powerful visual for the girls to be standing on, so I grafted in the huge snowflake, and used multiple duplicate layers of blurred overlays and screens to make it glow. The more it glowed, the happier I was with it.

 

THE MODELS

I had no intention of going fully photo-realistic, as I’m not a master of the craft and it would’ve taken me a million years to finish, but I wanted to use real faces as references. And I didn’t want faces you could see just anywhere. I looked to my two favorite pinup models from the 1950s and 60s, with Rosina Revelle as Elsa, and Michelle Angelo as Anna. I was introduced to their work via Dian Hanson’s The Big Book of Breasts (which had a memorable cameo on Matthew McConaughey’s desk in the movie Tropic Thunder) in which Revelle and Angelo were prominently featured models.

When I first bought the book a few years ago, it actually took me a while to get used to Rosina. Her facial features are gentle and fleshy, with full pouty lips, and a high-maintenance bearing. Her natural missile-shaped bosoms cantilever from her rib cage, and just seem to hang there even without support. It’s not a contemporary look, even though she is, on the whole, very easy on the eyes.

Michelle looks more contemporary, slimmer and slightly more petite, with a face that radiates a comparatively easier-going nature. Different looks for different times; Michelle Angelo was one of the most widely published American pinup models in 1960s gentleman’s literature, Playboy’s ‘Psychedelic Hippie’, and a fixture of the free-love generation. Rosina Revelle’s criminally short modeling career happened a decade earlier in the UK, where she was billed as Britain’s answer to Brigitte Bardot (though personally, I don’t think Ms. Bardot has anything on Rosie.)

Despite being photographed at a younger age than Michelle, Rosina’s eyes carry a sense of wisdom and experience beyond her years. And at times, a sense of implacable will, like she’d have no problem getting what she wants, most of the time, and not entirely due to cuteness.

Remember when Elsa told Olaf to lay off the cake? Stuff like that.

To paraphrase a line from Vito Corleone, Anna can afford to look a little careless, but Elsa cannot. This is what I feel allows Rosina and Michelle to really sell these characters, apart from bearing some vague resemblance to highly stylized cartoon designs—Anna is light and free and open, while Elsa carries baggage befitting her age and rank, both in the form of greater sensuality and the burden of responsibility.

 

THE WORK

I sketched the original line drawing in November 2015, and proceeded to paint in grayscale until I was comfortable with the direction of light sources, and the styling of the ribbons and bows.

In my previous outing with the Wacom tablet (which was my very first!) I only used varying sizes of hard and soft round brushes, bewildered by the vast selection of other brush tips and the sheer amount of control a power user can have over their behavior. Now this time, I was experimenting in earnest; I’d gobbled up all the free tutorials I could find, and was determined to learn this stuff and make it stick.

But I didn’t relinquish all of my powers—most of the piece is straight drawing, but where Photoshop could make my life easier (and make the painting look better), I just let it.

I tried painting freehand clouds, and thought at first that I managed a satisfactory result. Then I put away my pride and chucked it, made some custom texture brushes, and came out with something that looks a whole lot better. Likewise with the ripples on the lake. The rosemaling patterns and snowflakes were taken from a Google image search, and free-transformed into place.

The thing I looked most forward to trying out my new custom brush skills on was Anna’s freckles. I was giddy for it in a weird way. In the end, I got a little carried away and really Shawkatted her up. Then after I added blush and jacked that up, it looked like she had a condition! Jeez, where’s a freckle model when you need one? This is something I still need to work out.

 

THE MEANING

I should leave that up to the viewers. But if you want my view anyway:

I subscribe to a couple of Elsanna and ‘arencest’ tumblrs because I enjoy the fanart. But I don’t think the fate of the Universe hangs on the fulfillment of that prophesy, and, if many of one’s friends swim in that pool, one could be forgiven for thinking it was a religion. Ultimately I don’t care to ship it, because I don’t care. I painted this for my own selfish, prurient reasons.

I would be lying, however, if I denied it to be a compelling concept that Elsa’s ‘greatest gift of all’ was herself. And in a non-incestuous context, Frozen Fever is the bow that tops the wrappings of the previous film’s finale, with the wounds created in the first full-length feature all neatly bound and healed, pretty much hermetically.

Still, I didn’t let that stand in the way of me fixing my own little Elsanna sandwich. (Om nom nom)

Disturbing appearances

Crippling depression

Triggering thoughts

Uncontrollable selfharm

They give me numbing shots to prepare me for the shocktherapy treatment

I've never felt such an overwelming fear. My mind is blurred, i cant even speak, my body is shivering, my sweat is cold and my blood is freezing. I know I wont make it this time. My heart is too weak. There is no heartbeat left anymore...

 

"One of us is tender, one of us is not." — Typhoid Mary

 

Character History

 

Typhoid Mary is the main alias of one of the Kingpin's deadliest enforcers. As a mutant, Typhoid Mary displays low-level psychic abilities, which include the capacity to ignite small fires, move small objects, and disturb the minds of others.

 

In combination to her powers, she also possesses a highly fractured psyche, which usually manifests at least two main personas: the innocent "Mary" and the vicious "Typhoid Mary".

 

During a mission to emotionally destroy the Kingpin's nemesis, Daredevil, Typhoid Mary fell in love with her target. The distressful relationship she has developed with the Kingpin and Daredevil usually leads her to alternate between helping and hurting both of them.

 

In a desperate crusade to have her personalities integrated, Typhoid Mary has interacted with many other super human agents and organizations whom she could relate with, including Wolverine, the Ghost Rider, Spider-Man, Deadpool, and the Sisterhood of Mutants.

 

More prominently, during her quest to cure her mind, she joined the Initiative as a secret agent named Mutant Zero and found specialized help.

 

Eventually, she was neglected by the Initiative and resumed her toxic affairs with Daredevil and the Kingpin.

 

Thanks to the Kingpin, who had become the mayor of New York City, Typhoid Mary found her divergent personalities integrated.

 

Their relationship eventually evolved beyond the years of violence into a respectful romance and they have married each other.

 

At the Kingpin's side, Typhoid Mary assisted him in his rise against super heroes, as well as provided support during his fall from office. Together, they sought for happiness away from Daredevil.

 

Their destination ultimately came to be Krakoa, the mutant-exclusive nation in which Typhoid Mary had rights to citizenship.

 

Mary and Typhoid

 

Mary Walker was born to parents who were always fighting and her father would beat them. One night, Mary retreated deeply into her mind and a new alter ego emerged to attack him. After that incident, her father never touched her again; she was protected.

 

Mary's need to protect herself led to her second persona developing latent powers of subtle mind control, telekinesis, and pyrokinesis. Her paranormal abilities are of mutant nature and first manifested when she found a dead pigeon which she involuntary burned and reanimated.

 

The fires that young Mary accidentally caused in her house escalated the domestic violence in the family. Moreover, around her early years, Mary developed an extreme sense of faith in Catholic imagery.

 

As a fascinating psychiatric case, Mary became the interest of researchers and spent most of her life institutionalized. Since infancy, in the Mary persona, she was sweet and cooperative, but also fragile, sickly, and prone to epilepsy. She was unaware of her second identity, which in contrast was violent and uncontrollable, with no symptoms of sickness.

 

Running a constant fever, the disturbed persona became known as Typhoid Mary. The only interest Typhoid ever showed in the mental institution regarded the development of her psychic abilities. Due to her exceptional condition, Mary Walker fell to the clutches of a group of researchers who performed damaging psychic brainwashing to weaponize sleeper agents linked to Project Psyche, the ninth instalment of Weapon Plus.

 

At some point, when institutionalized at the Creed Psychiatrist Hospital, Mary met the lethal Elektra, who broke her free from the facility.

 

Some time later, the free Mary became well known as a successful stage actress with a promising career ahead of herself. One more time, she disappeared, which was assumed to be Typhoid Mary's fault. She went into crime and eventually met Matt Murdock, before he became Daredevil.

 

He was there to attack a criminal named Angelo at the brothel where Mary worked. To his surprise, the girls working there defended him. In the heat of the fighting, Murdock lashed out, knocking Mary out the window. At that moment, Mary vowed that she would never allow a man to hurt her again. She became Typhoid Mary.

 

Woman Without Fear

 

In Chicago, Typhoid Mary built herself a reputation in robbery and blackmailing. Her activities led her to New York City, where she became a deadly vigilante and a criminal murder. This got her involved in the underworld affairs of the Kingpin of Crime, Wilson Fisk.

 

The Kingpin was impressed by Typhoid Mary's history and abilities and put word on the street for her to contact him. He hired her to seduce and emotionally destroy his archnemesis Daredevil.

 

Typhoid Mary accepted the offer and introduced herself to Daredevil in his blind civilian identity, Matt Murdock, in a hospital for blind patients where she claimed she volunteered at. Having fabricated a story about her father being a blind man she used to nurse, Typhoid soon gained Murdock's trust as Mary. To become closer to him, Mary helped the kid Tyrone Janson recover from an accident that had blinded him.

 

Very rapidly, Typhoid Mary was able to make Murdock ignore his long time love, Karen Page and focus his attention on her. Simultaneously, she tormented Daredevil as Typhoid Mary in order to confuse him. However, the Mary persona started to become infatuated with Daredevil in the process.

 

Typhoid Mary performed other missions for the Kingpin, such as threatening agents of the legal system to do his wishes in judicial battles against Murdock. Slowly, the Kingpin started to be intrigued by Typhoid Mary as well.

 

When discussing her plans with the Kingpin, she took the opportunity to manipulate him into starting a romance with her as well. However, her mental stability suffered with this scheme, and she ended up in conflict between her two personalities.

 

During a battle with Daredevil, her psyche collapsed and she reverted to Mary; unable to hurt him, she was forced to flee. The Kingpin grew impatient and ordered her to finish her machinations immediately.

 

Realizing that the Mary persona could ruin her, Typhoid Mary recruited Bullet, Ammo, and the Wildboys to join her in destroying Daredevil. Her last recruit was Bushwacker.

 

They violently struck at Daredevil, leaving him physically and psychologically vulnerable to Typhoid Mary. Tragically, she executed his apparent murder by throwing him off a bridge.

 

Mary's decision to kill Daredevil infuriated the Kingpin, degrading their toxic relationship. As a result of so much turmoil, Mary finally became aware of her condition and of Typhoid Mary's existence.

 

Eventually, the suicidal Mary made it to the location where Daredevil's body was, only to find him alive. Murdock finally realized that Mary and Typhoid Mary were the same woman. She rescued him and brought him to a hospital, where she tormented Karen Page with the revelation that she was his lover.

 

Amidst a demonic inferno in the city, Typhoid Mary forged an alliance with the Prince of Lies, Mephisto, to exert her control over the Kingpin and fight Daredevil. With the end of the demonic invasion, Typhoid Mary, as usual, disappeared with no trace.

 

The Termination of Typhoid Mary

 

In order to gather information on the group of children known as the Power Pack, Doctor Doom was able to assign Typhoid Mary to perform the mission, learning about her existence from the Kingpin's intelligence.

 

Once again, she pretended to be a specialist in caring for blind individuals and make her way into being hired a school teacher. She lured Power Pack into an activity in Central Park. She soon gained their trust and was introduced to their father, the scientist James Power.

 

Simultaneously, she also got involved with the eldest child in Power Pack, Alex Power. She was able to create tension between father and son, psionically suggesting a rivalry between them.

 

Having fragilized the familial bonds in Power Pack, Typhoid Mary contacted Alex informing him she had been captured by a villain. As he met her, she had his father at her mercy. The rest of Power Pack was able to save their loved brother and father.

 

Her mission was apparently a failure. However, in the end, Typhoid Mary revealed that her real intentions all along were to manipulate Doctor Doom in exposing his fragilities to her by playing with the paternal relationship of Power Pack.

 

Soon after, Typhoid Mary tormented the creature known as Lifeform after he had clashed with Daredevil.

 

Eventually, Typhoid Mary resumed her alliance with the Kingpin, acting as his bodyguard. This coincided with the return of Fisk's former assassin, Bullseye.

 

The Kingpin's activities caught the attention of the Black Widow and Captain America, who engaged Bullseye while he was on a mission. As a gang war ensued in the city and cost the Kingpin some of his operatives, Typhoid Mary was sent to the field to investigate.

 

She soon found herself unable to manipulate Captain America when he approached her boss. After his visit, Crossbones attacked Fisk under the Red Skull's orders, but was followed by Daredevil. In the fight, the Kingpin and Typhoid Mary were able to escape. Typhoid Mary then assigned Bullseye with the mission of assassinating the Red Skull. He killed a robotic simulacrum instead.

 

Not only Typhoid Mary's work associations with the Kingpin were rekindled, but also their romantic ones. Together, they attempted to build a media empire to help Fisk expand his control using brute force to threaten and scare their associates.

 

Daredevil decided to tackle the Kingpin's operations by confronting him at his office. The conversation made Fisk remember his wife, Vanessa. This caused him to lash out at Typhoid Mary, accusing her of being incompetent as his right hand.

 

Determined to prove her worth, Typhoid Mary executed a mission in the Bronx against Jimmy Sabini. Exposed in field, Typhoid Mary was taunted by Daredevil.

 

In the ensuing fight, Daredevil was able to cause Mary to re-emerge. After this, Daredevil vanished, but not before alerting the authorities to restrain Mary, who was taken away in a straitjacket.

 

Fractured Fairy Tales

 

An insane serial killer named Roberts contacted the lone agent Logan, the X-Man known as Wolverine, in seek of help.

 

Roberts claimed to have been manipulated by the Project, a dark organization that performed psychic surgery to create sleeper agents. Roberts asked Logan to contact Mary Walker, another victim of the Project, for assistance. Logan was able to contact Walker, meeting her in a café. She informed him that she struggled with memory problems, something he could relate to.

 

They soon became involved with each other. Together, they were able to locate a laboratory. As they uncovered the Project's methods, Typhoid Mary emerged.

 

She viciously set Logan on fire, catching him off-guard. She went on the run, wishing to get revenge at those who had experimented on her. She was able to locate two researchers and torture them. Logan tracked her, wishing to prevent her from becoming a killer.

 

During the fight, Mary reasserted her control, but Logan chose to abandon her due to her dangerousness. Walker was able to find the lead researcher of the Project, Dr. Sidney Joern, in hopes of having his assistance in reverting the brainwashing that she had been subjected to in order to eliminate Typhoid Mary.

 

However, Joern decided to erase the Mary persona instead. Logan was able to interrupt the process, an event which awakened Typhoid Mary from her induced coma.

 

Struggling to keep her two personalities at check, Typhoid Mary decided to abandon the site, leaving Logan and her former captors as she left.

 

Using medication to keep her vicious tendencies controlled, Mary established herself in a community, joining a feminist movement and befriending a girl named Eve.

 

After running into Dan Ketch, Mary witnessed the possible return of Typhoid Mary. Her evil side fully emerged when she was assaulted by two security guards. As she lethally counterattacked them, she was met by Ketch in his Ghost Rider identity.

 

He had been experiencing disturbing nightmares about Typhoid Mary and chose to engage in combat, defeating her with his Penance Stare. The Ghost Rider found himself in conflict since Mary was, in her alternate persona, an innocent.

 

After he left, she recovered and searched for the intriguing Ghost Rider. In her quest, she killed the surviving security guard. This sparked the lust for vengeance in the Ghost Rider. This was revealed to be a trick schemed by the demon Dusk to fragilize the Ghost Rider. In return for her assistance,

 

Typhoid Mary was promised mental stability. As soon as she realized that the demon had tricked her, Typhoid Mary decided to help the Ghost Rider. In the process of invading Dusk's realm of insanity, Typhoid Mary was separated from her sane half. She was able to help Eve overcome the fear a creature had inflicted on her.

 

Afterwards, she chose to reject the Ghost Rider and attempted suicide. However, the Ghost Rider was able to bargain for Typhoid Mary's life with Dusk, who got defeated. Typhoid Mary once again vanished, secluding herself for protection.

 

Typhoid Mary once again was hospitalized, this time in an apparently regular mental institution. She was treated by the psychiatrist Michael Hunt, who became obsessed with her. They attempted to integrate Typhoid Mary's personas to stabilize her.

 

However, Logan resurged in Typhoid Mary's life again, asking for her help in rescuing Jessie Drake, a powerful empath who had caught the attention of the X-Men. Disguised as a technician, Mary was able to infiltrate the Fortress run by Dr. Hoffner.

 

As Typhoid Mary she retrieved Drake, whose empathic powers involuntarily touched the minds of Logan, Daredevil, and Vengeance to help her in her turmoil. The Fortress was able to restrain Typhoid Mary, who lashed out in a new misandrist and cold personality called Bloody Mary.

 

On the run with Drake, Mary started a killing agenda against men who had committed violence against women. She became a target for her former allies as well for the Fortress' guard Steel Raven.

 

Found by Steel Raven, Bloody Mary in fact found an ally. However, Mary and her personalities collapsed as she was hunted. She found comfort with Jessie Drake, who help her integrate her personalities as a fourth one as Walker. In full control of her abilities, Walker pressed charges against Dr. Hunt and decided to fight for justice for women legally with Jessie Drake as her protégé.

 

Soon, Mary Walker resumed her murderous activities against abusers who evaded justice. In one of her crimes, she regressed back to the innocent Mary persona. Journalist Peter Parker found her as she claimed a powerful woman was responsible for the murder. In compassion, Parker invited Mary for dinner to meet his wife, Mary Jane.

 

However, she attended as Typhoid Mary. After tormenting Mary Jane over her marriage, Typhoid Mary caused a mess in the apartment and escaped.

 

Since Parker was secretly the independent hero Spider-Man, he went on Typhoid Mary's trail. In the confrontation, the man-killing Bloody Mary appeared and targeted the criminal Jack Morray. Spider-Man intervened, leading Typhoid Mary to use her ways to seduce and execute Morray. She was once again stopped by Spider-Man, who had Morray under arrest instead.

 

Walker was ultimately able to take control over her three personalities and turned herself in for treatment at the Ravencroft Institute.

 

Hardcore

 

At one point, Mary was confined to a mental institution where each alter hired a mercenary. Mary Walker hired Deadpool to kill her, Typhoid Mary hired Deadpool to break her out, and Bloody Mary hired the Vamp/Animus to break her out to resume a killing spree.

 

Deadpool defeated the Vamp/Animus but refused to kill Mary Walker, allowing the Typhoid Mary alter to become dominant. Typhoid Mary and Deadpool had a few adventures together. But when Deadpool pushed her out of a window, her memories of Daredevil kicking her out of the brothel window returned.

 

She and Deadpool traveled to New York City to confront Daredevil, but Deadpool became upset when he found out that she had also been killing people from her past who couldn't defend themselves against her.

 

He and Daredevil defeated her but, against Daredevil's pleas, Deadpool insisted on trying to rehabilitate her himself. However Mary discovered Deadpool's infatuation with Siryn and, using an Image Inducer, tricked Deadpool into sleeping with her. When Deadpool discovered the ruse, he was so shocked and betrayed that he gave up trying to help Mary.

 

Through hypnosis, the abnormal and violent alters of Typhoid Mary were suppressed from Walker's consciousness. She returned to a normal life, becoming an actress on a soap opera. At some point, the Kingpin fell from power and was left in a coma.

 

He eventually recovered, and started reestablishing his power again and wanted to take out his enemies. He recruited Walker to distract Daredevil, using brute force to shock her out of her hypnotic treatments. As the Kingpin's assassin, Typhoid Mary brutally went to the streets, executing criminals who posed opposition to her boss.

 

In order to create a distraction to give the Kingpin time to consolidate his plans, she also confronted Daredevil while he was in his civilian identity as Matt Murdock setting him on fire before his bodyguards Jessica Jones and Luke Cage took her down, with Murdock landing the final hit.

 

Typhoid Mary was imprisoned on the maximum security prison for superhumans known as the Raft. During a massive breakout sparked by Electro, she was among the several prisoners who made their escape.

 

Mutant Zero

 

Mutantkind suffered a severe Decimation, mystically implemented by the Scarlet Witch. Most of the mutants lost their abilities, except for a few dozen. Only 198 mutants were catalogued as still active.

 

Around this period, the Superhuman Registration Act was enacted, forcing superhumans to register to the law to operate under the Initiative. Typhoid Mary was one of the few mutants to retain her powers during the crisis, but she was not initially included in the official record of the remaining mutants.

 

As the cryptic "199th" still-empowered mutant, Typhoid Mary was approached by Henry Peter Gyrich and recruited into the Shadow Initiative squad unit, who acted as Gyrich's personal guard. She was promised treatment for her dissociative identity disorder to attempt to integrate her fractured mind, and a legal pardon in exchange for her services as a secret agent.

 

The superhuman psychiatrist Dr. Leonard Samson prohibited references to her other identities to prevent any period of instability. She started to be referred only by the classified identity of Mutant Zero. Due to her mental instability, Mutant Zero was only allowed to be "activated" once per mission, being always isolated in the Zero Room in between missions.

 

Mutant Zero

 

In the Shadow Initiative's first mission, they were assigned to rescue cadets who fell to the Hulk's attack on humanity. Mutant Zero effectively liberated the hostages.

 

She was also activated when the rogue experiment K.I.A. attacked Camp Hammond. Seeing no alternative, Mutant Zero used her psychic abilities to cast a telepathic cloak to render herself and Gyrich undetectable to the senses of the destructive creature.

 

In a subsequent attack to Camp Hammond, Mutant Zero was forced to get into action as alien Skrull invaders executed their massive plan of overtaking Earth. Mutant Zero directly attacked the Skrull Queen, but was tricked by her deceiving actions.

 

After the Skrull invasion failed thanks to the efforts of Earth's heroes, including a final blow fired by Norman Osborn, much changed for the Initiative program.

 

Gyrich was no longer associated with the operation, and Mutant Zero initially responded to the Gauntlet, who did not adopt Gyrich's methodology to prevent her mental collapse. To make matters worse, the abhorrent Taskmaster was able to recognize Mutant Zero's true identity by analyzing her body movements and fight patterns.

 

The Taskmaster was also appointed as field leader of the Shadow Initiative. They were assigned to Madripoor to combat a Hydra organization.

 

With her identity exposed, Typhoid Mary abandoned the Mutant Zero identity during the mission. She was able to gather complex intel about Hydra's activities, which were run by the Scorpion. During the ensuing fight, the Taskmaster cowardly decided to retreat as they were counted with no support from the Initiative program due to S.H.I.E.L.D. being dismantled and supplanted by Osborn's H.A.M.M.E.R..

 

In Madripoor, the lost agents were forced to fight Roughouse and Bloodscream. By remaining active in the field for too long with no support, the psychological controls guiding the Mutant Zero project alter failed, and Typhoid Mary manifested an independent alter to evade Hydra. As the dust settled, she coldly chose to abandon her teammates of the Initiative.

 

Shadowland

 

In order to end the Hand's endless bloodlust, Daredevil took the controversial decision of seizing control of the ancient clan of murderers to control it. Typhoid Mary, now in full control of her integrated personas due to the Initiative, contacted Daredevil to join him in his crusade.

 

Seeing her as a valuable asset, Daredevil accepted Typhoid Mary as one of his agents. However, the superhero community opposed Daredevil because of his descent into cruelty, invading his Shadowland empire in Hell's Kitchen.

 

Although the heroes met a fight in Daredevil and Typhoid Mary, the latter being able to set Spider-Man on fire, they managed to harm their operation by freeing their prisoners. In order to prepare himself for a rematch, Daredevil had Typhoid Mary assist him in resurrecting Bullseye.

 

In a subsequent fight, Spider-Man was able to neutralize Typhoid Mary as Daredevil succumbed to the influence of the Beast. In the end, Daredevil was defeated and exorcised. Even without her master, Typhoid Mary loyally kept his rule over the Hand.

 

She resisted the Kingpin's attempt to seize the organization from Daredevil. However, the Kingpin revealed that she was a sleeper agent for him all along, being controlled with subliminal messages. As the Kingpin released her from her trance, he became the new leader of the Hand, having Typhoid Mary at his side as one of his prime bodyguards and assassins.

 

Having grown interested in Wakandan affairs, the Kingpin targeted a board member of the Bank of Wakanda K'Tamo Chatarko for assassination. This sparked the interest of the Black Panther, who at the time, operated in Hell's Kitchen. The Kingpin sent his assassins, Typhoid Mary and Lady Bullseye to eliminate the Black Panther.

 

He was able to evade his aggressors, which was part of the Kingpin's plan of manipulating him. Typhoid Mary and Lady Bullseye attempted to murder Chatarko, but were intercepted by the Black Panther, who decided to destroy Shadowland alongside his allies. The Falcon was instrumental in defeating Typhoid Mary. In the end, the Kingpin's operation was severely harmed by the attack.

 

With intel about a serum that could negate healing factors designed by Tombstone against Deadpool, the Kingpin became interested in it and sent Typhoid Mary and his Hand agents to secure it.

 

In order to protect himself, Deadpool informed X-Force that the serum could be weaponized as an anti-mutant asset. Typhoid Mary ran into X-Force during her mission. She had no option but to retreat and return to the Kingpin.

 

Thanks to the machinations of Daken, the run for the serum sparked a conflict between the Kingpin, X-Force, and Tombstone. The Kingpin captured Deadpool's associate Bob to lure X-Force. Amidst the fight, the Kingpin fled. As a result of these incidents, Deadpool was a victim of the serum and lost his healing powers. Eventually, the Kingpin's Shadowland empire was brought down by the Superior Spider-Man.

 

Sisterhood

 

At some point, Typhoid Mary became an employee for the drug lord Ana Cortés. Obsessed with using technology to improve herself and her organization, Cortés merged her consciousness with that of Lady Deathstrike.

 

Following a confrontation with the X-Men, the all-new Deathstrike became aware of the technological intelligence known as Arkea. In order to weaponize Arkea against her enemies.

 

Typhoid Mary had the mission of retrieving Arkea. Typhoid Mary invaded the Jean Grey School to recollect samples for Arkea. Although the X-Man Psylocke identified her presence, she was able to escape with the item. However, the piece was found to be inert. Typhoid Mary accessed John Sublime's mind to acquire other pieces of Arkea. In the process, they recruited the witch Amora the Enchantress.

 

As Typhoid Mary wished for gratification due to her assistance, Deathstrike promised to use Arkea to heal her mental instability and decided to create a Sisterhood of Mutants to fight the X-Men.

 

The Sisterhood went to the Body Shoppe to accomplish their goals, but Arkea was activated and took control of the leadership of the group.

 

The X-Men engaged in battle and the Sisterhood escaped in order to expand their roster and gather power to defeat their opponents. Soon, the Sisterhood realized Arkea was a malevolent and dangerous entity.

 

Deathstrike asked Typhoid to mercy-kill her before she could succumb to Arkea's schemes. However, Typhoid Mary found herself unable to execute Cortés, who was sacrificed to resurrect Madelyne Pryor. As the X-Men intervened, Psylocke was able to catch Typhoid Mary this time, telepathically tormenting her troubled mind and putting her out of commission. In the end, Arkea was defeated.

 

Queenpin of Crime

 

Following the public revelation that Matt Murdock was Daredevil, an insane Typhoid Mary invaded his home in San Francisco to torment him and his girlfriend Kirsten McDuffie.

 

Although Typhoid Mary set the house on fire, Daredevil defeated her and handed her over to the authorities. Typhoid Mary was eventually taken to court in a request to be remanded.

 

At this point, the Black Cat had stepped in as the main crimelord in New York City, the Queenpin of Crime. As part of her plans, the Black Cat wished to gather intel about S.H.I.E.L.D. and had the mental conditioner Doctor Lusk control people for her objectives.

 

With Lusk's influence, Typhoid Mary was pardoned in court and offered a position in the Black Cat's Gang to supervise espionage operations. Typhoid Mary was assigned to investigate Hawkeye, who might have gotten access to the Black Cat's plans from the hacker Jeremy Ellsden.

 

After surprising him at his apartment, Typhoid Mary was able to capture him and have him fall to the mind control operations of Lusk. Later, this put her in combat against his allies, the other Hawkeye and Deadpool. Although Typhoid Mary escaped, at some point, the brainwashed Hawkeye betrayed his partners. Deadpool stroke back to recover Hawkeye and stop the Black Cat.

 

Typhoid Mary covered the Black Cat's escape and took the opportunity to punish Deadpool due to their shared past. However, after breaking free from the mind control, Hawkeye was able to surprise Typhoid Mary and knock her out.

 

The Black Cat abandoned her lackeys and vanished. Being sedated by the authorities as a way to prevent her from using her mutant powers, Typhoid Mary was arrested. In Ryker's, she had Jessica Jones as a cellmate. Jones was under arrest as part of an undercover mission. Typhoid Mary violently threatened Jones, but with brute force she was easily dealt with. She eventually made her escape and integrate herself into the super-villainous community.

 

First Lady Mary

 

Once again, Typhoid Mary succumbed to lunacy and was hospitalized. Under the care of Dr. Charles, she was subjected to therapy to lock her damaging personas. Another of Charles' patients was the mutant Amp.

 

In contact with Amp's abilities, the experiment boosted Typhoid Mary's powers, instead, including her dissociation. As a result, Typhoid Mary reemerged and brutally burned Charles. He was saved from death by Spider-Man.

 

With her enhanced abilities, she was able to mentally control Spider-Man to cause mayhem. Amp's guardians, the X-Men, became aware of the crisis and chose to intervene. As they were tortured by Typhoid Mary, she looked for Amp to further amplify her powers and destroy the entire city.

 

In a church, where she spoke with Amp, she was opposed by the martial artist Iron Fist. Controlling a legion of civilians, she combated Iron Fist.

 

However, as Amp was fully forced to expand Typhoid Mary's psychic abilities, her body succumbed to the exceeding energies. Back to his senses, Amp restored her body and mind and covered her escape.

 

She found solace in a Catholic church in Hell's Kitchen. Wilson Fisk, who had gone from the Kingpin to the mayor of New York City, stumbled upon her and, wishing to grant her some peace, he had his doctors condition her to live a calm life as a nun working in the church.

 

As such, Mary abandoned her previous lives and became Sister Elizabeth. Ironically, she provided guidance to Matthew Murdock in her duty, as he sought the church for advice many times.

 

However, when the criminal Stromwyns decided to profit from crime in Hell's Kitchen, a legion of supervillains attacked the neighborhood and the brutal Rhino terrorized Sister Elizabeth in the church. Daredevil attempted to protect the area, but the Typhoid Mary persona was still released. In a peculiar team-up, Typhoid Mary joined Daredevil and Fisk to protect the city. As the Rhino was defeated, Typhoid Mary chose to vanish, as usual.

 

She returned to the ruins of the church after realizing her psyche was finally cohesive due to her recent religious experience. There, she discussed her situation with Fisk and offered her services as a bodyguard to the City Hall.

 

As she started to work with Fisk again, Daredevil was placed under arrest. Soon after, Earth fell to a massive invasion of symbiotes. In an attempt to protect Fisk, Typhoid Mary was infected with one of the aliens and unwillingly bonded with it, becoming a monstrous creature. The insane Typhoid Mary clashed with Elektra, who had adopted the mantle of Daredevil to protect civilians during the infection.

 

Elektra managed to momentarily trick Typhoid Mary into believing she was successful in murdering her, only to be able to escape. Following the end of the crisis, Typhoid Mary was found by Fisk's agents completely fractured.

 

Fisk felt compassion for her turmoil and offered his emotional support, bonding to Mary in unprecedented ways. He also chose to discharge Mary from her duties in order to allow her to recover.

 

Bullseye was on the loose, which made Fisk worried. Typhoid Mary decided to reassume her position as a bodyguard to protect her boss by hunting down Bullseye.

 

Fisk asked her not to come after Bullseye, fearing that she could be murdered. As a response, Mary declared that if they were to resume a relationship it should not be a toxic and possessive one.

 

Sensing Fisk's despair, Typhoid Mary still decided to pursue Bullseye. She dressed herself as Daredevil to taunt him. Alongside Elektra, she fought a collection of duplicates of Bullseye in Hell's Kitchen. Eventually, as Bullseye made it to Fisk's location, Typhoid Mary risked her own life to protect her employer.

 

As a result, Fisk proposed to Typhoid Mary as he professed his love, which she accepted. Following a wedding ceremony, Typhoid Mary became Mrs. Fisk, the first lady of New York City.

 

Fisk was obsessed with the secret identity of Daredevil, which he had been manipulated into forgetting. Back from his honeymoon, the mayor implemented a severe anti-vigilantism policy in New York City, only allowing his agents to operate in order to hunt superheroes.

 

The superhero community organized itself to oppose Fisk's brutal rule as Mary helped Fisk plan a presidential campaign. As they discussed their sorrowful past, Fisk accidentally unlocked memories Typhoid Mary had lost using his cane imbued with the Purple Man's powers. This led him to revert the mental conditioning that had made the entire world forget about Daredevil's identity as well.

 

A war erupted between the illegal heroes and Fisk's licit supervillains. In the end, Daredevil, Elektra, and the other heroes directly confronted Fisk. Elektra defeated Typhoid Mary, but Daredevil was able to use the Purple Man's powers to erode Fisk's reign.

 

Instead of facing prison, Fisk was offered an alliance with the influential Stromwyns to stay in politics. He brutally rejected the offer and escaped to international waters with Mary in hopes of finding happiness.

 

The Fall of Krakoa

 

Being a mutant, Typhoid Mary had rights as a citizen of the mutant-exclusive island nation of Krakoa. She claimed her citizenship and extended it to her husband.

 

Together, they found asylum in it. Fisk shared a past with one of Krakoa's most influential leaderships, Emma Frost, due to their previous businesses. They arrived in time for the third Hellfire Gala, which they attended.

 

Tragically, the ceremony was a disaster, since the anti-mutant organization known as Orchis not only managed to obliterate many mutants, but also spark anti-mutant sentiment.

 

Another consequence of their actions was tricking Professor X into sending the mutant population through teleporting Gateways away from Earth. Tragically, the ruse caused mutants to vanish. As a human, Fisk was not affected and joined the few surviving mutant resistance, using his grief to help Frost and mutants.

 

In fact, Typhoid Mary emerged in Vanaheim alongside a few other mutants including Marrow, Magik, Mirage, and Dust. They were caught amidst a war between Vanir warriors from House Mult and the mysterious White Witch.

 

The mutants, including a reluctant Mary, assisted the House Mult. The mutants were recognized as prophesized heroes who would liberate Vanaheim from the White Witch.

 

Fighting alongside the Vanir and Asgardian heroes such as Thor and Sif, the mutants would defeat Saturnyne and return to Earth. Mary would promptly return to her husband, next being seen working as the Kingpin's bodyguard during New York's supervillain Gang War.

 

Personality

 

Mary Walker struggles with dissociative identity disorder, causing her to have at least two abnormal alters, but in later years she has shown five different personas:

 

Mary is a timid, quiet, and pacifist woman, exhibiting compassionate feelings and an inability to access her paranormal powers. Due to her more innocent demeanor, she can occasionally be immature and naive.

 

Typhoid Mary is an adventurous, lustful, and violent persona who employs her psionic abilities erratically. The Typhoid part is identifiable by the right side of her face being totally pale. Moreover, Typhoid's body temperature is constantly elevated. This fever disturbs her mental stability.

 

Bloody Mary is sadistic, brutal, and misandrist. As Bloody Mary, she uses her telekinetic powers to cover her body with metal scraps as a body armor. Moreover, Bloody Mary demonstrates an affinity to firearms. Similarly to Typhoid, Bloody Mary has half of her face in pale hue, sometimes it being the left side

 

Walker is fully aware of her condition, being focused, detached, and stable. Although no physical evidence is apparent, Walker can use her psionic powers.

 

Mutant Zero represents a no-nonsense, efficient, military-type agent.

 

Powers

 

Mary Walker is a mutant and possesses a number of psionic powers. The effectiveness of her powers differs on which alter is in control of her mind. The innocent "Mary" typically has no access to her powers, although they occasionally express themselves without her awareness. The other personas all have conscious access to telekinetic, pyrokinetic, and telepathic abilities to varying degrees.

 

Telekinesis: Using her mind, Typhoid Mary can levitate small objects over short distances, which usually are weapons such as knives and razors. She tends to employ her telekinetic abilities by making a knife spin in place or retrieving her weapons if they are dropped. Her "Bloody Mary" persona often gathered and assembled small metal objects into an improvised battle-armor.

 

Pyrokinesis: Typhoid Mary can ignite small fires in her vicinity.

 

Telepathy: Gifted with low-level telepathic abilities, Typhoid Mary can implant mental suggestions in the minds of others. She can induce sleep in weak-minded individuals and most animals, or create sensory ghosts as a distraction, causing people to be distracted.

 

She can compel people to take simple actions without thinking about it, like reaching for a blade or kissing her, letting her predict their next move or guide them into traps. Usually, she uses her power to psionically seduce men, using a combination of behavioral psychology and telepathic prods to make them quickly become obsessed and fall in love with her.

 

Unstable Vital Signs: Typhoid Mary's personalities have different body function readings. Her different physiological traits display specific heart rate, respiratory patterns, scent, electrocardiographic readings, and mental patterns. Daredevil proved to be unable to recognize Mary and Typhoid Mary as the same person despite his enhanced senses, and even sighted people often believe the alters to be different people.

 

Abilities

 

Typhoid Mary is very skilled in martial arts and the use of edged weapons. As Bloody Mary, she shows an expertise in using firearms in combat situations.

 

Weaknesses

 

Dissociative Identity Disorder: Typhoid Mary's fractured psyche has been shown to be the cause of her inefficiency in combat in different occasions.

 

Equipment

 

As Mutant Zero, Mary is equipped with a suit of full body armor that appears to enhance her physical strength and an arsenal of weapons, including guns and various blades.

 

Notes

 

Mary's real full name was first revealed in Daredevil #297 as Mary Mezinis by creator Dan G. Chichester. However, in Marvel Comics Presents #109, which was written by the character's creator and main writer Ann Nocenti, she was revealed to be named Mary Walker. Walker was confirmed to be her birth surname in Marvel Comics Presents #151, also written by Nocenti. After its first mention, the name Mezinis has never been brought up again.

 

Typhoid Mary's status as a mutant was only confirmed in the Avengers: The Initiative series. In issue Avengers: The Initiative #5, she was introduced as a mutant who had survived decimation. Her true identity was only fully revealed in issue Avengers: The Initiative #20. Before that, the origins for her powers remained unexplained.

 

Her entry in Marvel Encyclopedia #Spider-Man merely hinted the possibility that her paranormal abilities could be the result of mutant genetics, psychic experiments, or both.

 

The identity of Mutant Zero remained undisclosed in the Avengers: The Initiative for months, only being revealed in issue Avengers: The Initiative #20.

 

Trivia

 

Typhoid fever is a bacterial disease characterized by a long-lasting fever which may cause confusion. The name "Typhoid Mary" is a direct reference to Mary Mallon, an asymptomatic carrier of typhoid-inducing bacteria, who infected dozens of people as a result of her job as cook at the beginning of the 20th century. The nickname she earned because of her condition, "Typhoid Mary," is used to refer to those who spread disease or misfortune, not always aware that they are doing so.

 

The name "Bloody Mary" is a reference to Queen Mary, who earned the nickname from her Protestant opponents since she implemented violent policies to re-establish Catholicism in England.

 

Typhoid Mary sometimes refers to her split personality by reciting the nursery rhyme "Mary, Mary, Quite Contrary".

 

⚡ Happy 🎯 Heroclix 💫 Friday! 👽

_____________________________

 

A year of the shows and performers of the Bijou Planks Theater.

 

Secret Identity: Mary Alice Walker

 

Publisher: Marvel

 

First appearance: Daredevil #254 (May 1988)

 

Created by: Ann Nocenti (Writer)

John Romita Jr. (Artist)

Dérive

PHOTOSHOP COMPOSITION: The Flesh Failures.

 

This my early February submission. Lately I have have been having a very strong feeling of longing for my past. I is both a sad and joyful feeling. This picture of an old upstate New York theater (still functioning) brings those feelings into focus.

 

Fun fact # 1. This picture was taken in Syracuse, New York. I lived there from June 1978 through June of 1980. Great times.

Fun fact # 2. This is the last track on the Hair Original Soundtrack LP. I saw the original Broadway production in 1968!

  

I have decided to give myself a monthly challange with photography and CS5. The lesson is very simple, I have listed twelve of my favorite songs and each month I will take one of the song titles and compose a picture around it. My criteria is that the picture must be an original picture I have taken and that I use my CS5 skills to enhance the picture to meet the theme of the song title. Some will be direct some obscure. Listed below are the songs I will be using in the next twelve months. Here is my September compostion. This is a prototype. I have a better idea in mind but it will take a few days to take the picutres.

 

The Flesh Failures-Hair Original Cast Recording [February]*

The Uncontrollable Fire-U2

Wild Horses-Rolling Stones [June]*

Wonderwall-Ryan Adams [July]*

L'Estasi Dell'Oro-Ennio Morricone [November]*

Sorcerer-Tangerine Dream [September]*

Taxi to Heaven-Pray for Rain [December]*

White Room-Cream [October]+

Redemption Song-Bob Marley [August]*

Cruel Summer-Bananarama

The Celestials-Smashing Pumpkins

Every Step of the Way-Santana [December]*

 

Camera: Canon 5D Mark III

Lens: Canon EF 40mm 2.8 pancake

Settings: 1/40 f. 2.7

ISO: 100

Location: Syracuse, New York

Date:November 21, 2012

Time: 11:51 a.m.

 

Disturbing appearances

Crippling depression

Triggering thoughts

Uncontrollable selfharm

They give me numbing shots to prepare me for the shocktherapy treatment

I've never felt such an overwelming fear. My mind is blurred, i cant even speak, my body is shivering, my sweat is cold and my blood is freezing. I know I wont make it this time. My heart is too weak. There is no heartbeat left anymore...

 

Disturbing appearances

Crippling depression

Triggering thoughts

Uncontrollable selfharm

They give me numbing shots to prepare me for the shocktherapy treatment

I've never felt such an overwelming fear. My mind is blurred, i cant even speak, my body is shivering, my sweat is cold and my blood is freezing. I know I wont make it this time. My heart is too weak. There is no heartbeat left anymore...

 

Untamed longing, a broken innocence

 

When I was nearly 15, I worked odd jobs at a Baptist church. Cleaning, setting the pews in perfect order and chasing birds that sneaked inside. I was an altar girl. The reverend, a seasoned american missionary, would give me coins and call me an angel, gently caressing my cheek. Yet, my body was changing, my mind a whirlwind of chaos, and my desires surged uncontrollably. The air grew thick with the perfume of temptation, suffocating and intoxicating. As the weeks went by, I found myself caught between his unexpected tenderness and my own desire to reaffirm my femininity. Confused by the warmth of his touch and the intensity of my own needs, I finally decided to surrender to my desires, allowing myself to be swept away by the very emotions I’d tried so hard to resist.The angel became a demon, pulling that man of faith into the fiery realms of both hell and paradise.

And as in all stories of forbidden deeds and sins, this one did not have a happy ending...

 

This photograph and its story took place in 2008

Human need place to stay in the big city from year after year increases as population growth rate is increasingly uncontrollable, Reviews such as in the field of business economics.

All it requires space to Contain it, and it is a building.

The high price of land in urban areas, making buildings constructed vertically like apartment, hotel or office building. That's what happened in Surabaya and other big cities of the in Indonesia.

 

If urban land has been dwindling and expensive, there are other ways to be taken of reclamation.

Like pictures that I take this is an apartment building that was built on reclaimed land. Developer reclaiming the east coast of Surabaya to be an exclusive residential area.

Jan. 14 - Feb 5th, 2011 at Roq La Rue Gallery. www.roqlarue.com.

 

mandygreer.wordpress.com

 

About “Honey and Lightening”

 

“Honey and Lightening” is a show of installation chambers, sculptures of talismanic birds and a series of staged photographs all revolving around examining the mercurial nature of human desire. The substances honey and lightening both have literary, mythical and archetypal references to the occurrence and evolution of desire and it’s fading. I see one as the slow ooze of pleasure and the other as the dangerous, uncontrollable and inexplicably instant occurrence of magnetism between two bodies.

 

Two installation chambers create full body experiences of these ephemeral phenomena and crystallize them in tangible form as a way to signify the human longing for a perfect stasis of experience – which is impossible as emotion begins to degrade, evolve, fold in upon itself after the initial strike.

 

The Honey Moon chamber is a 10 foot tall mirrored jewelry box spanning 12 feet, enclosing a giant engorged golden chandelier formation encrusted with tens of thousands of gold-colored trinkets – the cheapest of the trashiest materials but representing the purest element from the bowels of the earth that has induced lust to the point of violence since pre-history. This giant mass of gold, as well as the body of the viewer, is reflected infinitely in 35 mirrored panels that create a simultaneously claustrophobic and expansive encounter that memorializes a temporary event. The mythology of honey, a bodily fluid produced from flowers, has long been associated with the ooze of erotic perfection. An ambrosial month of drinking honey-wine has followed the wedding ceremony since the Pharaohs. But locked up in the folklore of this transitional period is that the delirium ends and the state of bliss is forever sought after.

 

The Cherry Tree Root chamber is, in a way, a reverence to my own experience with Colpo di fulmine — “love at first sight” in Italian, which literally translate to “lightning strike”, and a craving to re-experience a place and time that no longer exists. Recently digging a 16 foot deep foundation hole, my husband and I removed 72 tons of dirt from our property to build a studio, exposing deep and gnarled roots that seems like frozen solidified lightening, long forgotten, dug up by us to lay the foundation for the rooms we hope we’ll die in. The root chamber is like entering this underground world hidden from view of long- ago electric ephemeral desires that have now turned into strong and sturdy roots- not as flashy as lightening but quietly enduring and growing. The roots are battered beautiful twisting accumulations of crocheted scraps of fabric I’ve saved for years, old ropes and remnants of past installations, hand-spun hair, rabbit fur and old clothes, all coated in the dirt from below my family’s foundation.

 

Creating a chamber to recede into is an homage to Jeffry Michell’s 2001 installation “Hanabuki”, the site of our own lightening strike, a catalytic phenomenon that lasted a millisecond. Like life itself beginning with lightening striking the primordial soup, the mythology of celestial fire recognizes its ability to create fast irreversible transformation. Despite the impossibility of it, I made my chamber as a way to revisit and remember the secret place Jeffry made, the fur-lined hut that was a pleasure palace where I fell in love, presided over by little dancing gods spreading the joys of the pleasure in all bodies, a beginning of something that seemed temporary and ill-fated but really turned out to be deep-rooted like an ancient tree.

 

The installation also includes a gathering of talismanic birds made of leather and more than a thousand individually cut and sewn silk and satin feathers, representing my imminent needs but using imagery used by a variety of ancient peoples and cultures — a desire for protection, for a guide, and harbingers of happiness in the form of a raptors. In photographs, close friends and my husband play out roles that tie into the everyday events of their lives, but represented as re-interpreted gods and goddesses such as Hecate, Demeter and the Green Man. The photos speak to themes of cross-roads, the double pull of isolation vs. community, a power buried in the beginnings of motherhood and the visceral erotic pull of the earth, volatile but buried like a dormant volcano.

 

Sponsored in part by by the City of Seattle Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs CityArtist Grant and 4Culture/King County Lodging Tax Revenue.

  

God

“To my dearest Lucile, I write to the, I am almost aboard the S.S. Cameron, the voyage should be no longer than a few weeks. I presume, I can't promise though. You know these cruise liners and their inability to be constant modes of transportation. I don't know darling but I have a overwhelming fear of these seas. As I look out upon the water, I see a different glaze than I did when we were in York. Even though those waters were shaded by the balming forty degree weather. But these waters? There's no excuse, it's the mid of July. Why would there be such horrid looking waters? I assume I'm overthinking this voyage, you know how I feel about putting my trust into one single driver, pilot or any captain. Rather do it myself, but this I can't on this grotesque cruise line. I'm sorry my sweetest darling I must've lost track of time, for I need to go board upon the Cameron, time to face my demons and conquer my fears as they say. Love you darling, see you in a few weeks…-Love Jonathan Morrows”

“Come one, come all, the S.S. Cameron waits upon your arrival…. There are only five more bunks available upon this beautiful beast!.... You sir, you look as if you want to board the S.S., need a ticket?”

I didn't plan to respond to these types of folk, I'm not that fond of America, this culture seems to bring phonies and liars by the masses. If I were to entrust my traveling to a side merchant than I was to be a stationary man.

“Sir… I'm not sure as if you heard me… Sir please…”

I pressed on past him…

“Mr.Morrow…” the merchant said

How did he happen upon my name?

“There you go Mr.Morrow…. I didn't wish to call you by name sir. But your attention I was not reaching, i already assume you have your ticket don't you?” Pressed the merchant

“How do you know my name”

“How do I know your name?” He questioned with lack of curiosity

“Well your the great Jonathan Morrows, we all know your name here sir..”

“Alright…. Well if you already knew of my name, then why question my existence of a ticket?”

“Well, that's a good question mister morrow isn't it, you were always full of exquisite questions weren't you?” He said sarcastically

“I'm sorry?”

“Oh would you look at the time? I don't want to happen to be late now do I?” He said and then walked away with eagerness in each step

“Well that was strange…”

I knew when I came to America that the out of ordinary would become ordinary, I guess this is my first exposure to such ordinary acts… my eyes seemed as if they were placed upon this man, until I heard my name get called once again, but this time from the backside of me.

“Mr.Morrow!” Said the man

He isn't much of note, he is a basic looking working class man, I could tell this whole man's life just from a far, nothing of precaution is coming to me at this moment, this may be the first time my nervous emotions have faded…

“Yes hello?”

“Mister.Morrow I have a telegram from a fellowship member, he said it was a urgent read.” Said the ship boy

“Thank you…”

A note? Before I even enter the boat? God lord this whole mode of transportation has already given me a bad feeling of American life.

“Are to read it mister?” He pressed

“Later son….”

I may have said that to annoyed but I been pressed already twice before my entrance of the boat, my annoyance seemed warranted

“Sir this is of upmost of emergency that you read this letter!!!” He said anxiously

“I understand son, but now I have to board the boat, I will read it once I enter my cabin…” I said while walking towards the boat.

“Sir!!!” He yelled from afar

“Yes?” I said angried

“Uh, have a safe voyage!!!”

I didn't plan on responding to the anxious boy, I feel as if I was to rude to him…. But wait, what did he mean emergency? I looked back to find him but he was gone…

I approached the ticket master…

“Ticket Mr.Morrow?”

I handed him my ticket with a blank face

“Something of issue?” He asked curiously

“Did you see a boy? About five foot Seven, a bit wary, nothing out of the ordinary!”

“No sir, there was no boy that passed by this dock! Mr.Morrow the boat is docking soon, you better not miss your voyage!” He said with utmost urgency

“Wait how….”

I don't know…. how could he have known my name before I handed him my ticket, he referred to me as Mr.Morrow, how did he happen upon my name without any prior meet and greet!? This whole arrangement upon this boat seemed so far sketchy to me. I can't place my finger on it, just have a strange feeling about the whole voyage…

“Sir? Did the cat catch your tongue?” He said enthusiastically

“No I'm sorry my fine man, I must've just caught a gust of Imagination!”

“No issue at all Mr.Morrow, please do enjoy your voyage!” He said with kind and care

“I shall!”

I then preceded to walk up to boarding dock onto the silver giant that is the S.S Cameron, it is a beautiful vessel to say the least, the silver coating on each and every side matched with a bluish tint, made the boat nearly blend in with the ocean it was sailing on. The beauty took me back for just a instance before i crossed the drawbridge, as if i was taking my steps into heaven, a cheerfulness overcame me. I was excited for the first time ever to be traveling. I took my final steps off the drawbridge into the boat, the first sighting that bewitched my eyes was the sight of the near perfect ballroom. A dance floor for the richest of folk i assume, i took further more steps onto the boat, that's where i started to see the beautiful women of the Cameron. Elegant dresses and even more elegant looks, jazz music filled the air like a parade. It felt like my first voyage to america in which i first arrived near new orleans, i could hear the celebration of life, with the event mardi gra occurring, the friends i made upon the boat wanted me to join them in the festivities of the event, but parties werent my scene, not at the least bit. I remember telling them to go have their jollies all filled, while i would press on to new york. A long train ride it was, but lots of thought came to my mind during it.

“Excu----cuse---- excuse me sir?”

The voice came from below me… a frightened boy i assume…

“Yes we one?”

“Ar-----Are you mister jonathan morrows?” he said with fright

“Why yes i am son, is there something of matter?”

He seems afraid of something, as if he just had saw someone get killed right in front of his eyes.

“Ca----Ca---”

“It's okay son, no need for anxiety, i'm just a person much like you”

“Sorry…. Can you----- accompany me, my mother she's----- She's fallen ill…”

“Alright, how so son? You mustn't panic now”

“Sorry….” he said with sympathy

“No need for apologies now, don't be foolish! Where's your mother now?”

“Right this way--- just down the hall”

He pointed me in a direction down the hall, one that wasn't as luxurious as the rest of the ballroom floor, he had ragged close on and showed signs of a poor lifestyle, poor boy, his frantic nature assembly kicked in my parental instinct, how he knew of my name wasn't much of an issue to me as he's just a boy. His parents could of spoke about me at some point in his young life…

“Which room are staying in?”

“Uh----just this one right here---”

The room read 127, nothing strange at all, maybe this voyage wouldn't be anything of interest…. the boy is opening the door offly slow I must say…

“She's just in here Mr.Morrow…”

“Ekkkk, what is the fowl order young one?”

He began to weep harshly…

“No no, I'm sorry….. I don't see as if we're your mother could be?”

He is still uncontrollably crying, what is the matter with this boy… he crept open the door even more…. I can now see inside..

“Oh sweet lord…”

I nearly vomited, this boy's mother had a wound the size of a meteor, she was bleeding harshly… and the room smelled as if she wasn't the only one dying away… the fixtures In the room, I can't place my mind on it, it looks as if it would be dimmer than the rest of the boat.

“Mother!!!!” The boy ran to his mother quickly

“You got to help--- you have to help her mister Morrow!”

What was I to do, the amount of blood on the carpet matched Omaha beach, it was as if the pits of hell flourished and brought a lack of blood to the surface…

I ran to her as fast I could, but ugh, it appears as if I was too late….

“HELP! Dear god somebody help!!!”

Where in the hell are the paramedics? Where is the fucking medical care for this boat? I walked out Into The hall with blood dripping from my pant suit…

“You mister!!!!! We need help in here, this boy's mother, she's been stabbed… she's dying we need your assistance!!” The man began to walk the opposite way…

“Wait stop… Stop, please she's going to die!”

I turned my head back at the door and it was shut, and all the blood on my shirt dissipated…

“What? But…”

I opened the door to see the mother and her child…

“Wee one?” No one was there and all the blood seemed to as if disappear into thin air

“What! I don't understand?”

“Excuse me sir!” Said a angried old man

“I would appreciate it if you didn't try breaking into our room!!!”

“No… no you're mistaken this isn't your room, this the room to a poor child and his mother, there hurt and need help!!!”

“I don't believe charline that this man is right in the head.” They said while laughing

“Listen here sir, there is no possible way in hell that a poor boy could afford this cot..”

“But…. but… the mother she was…”

“What mother are you speaking of sir?There's no families besides the perdife family on this floor…”

“I'm…. i'm sorry, I must've been mistaken?”

“Indeed…” he said with contempt

“Well I'm sorry for the interruption….”

What was that? Where did that boy go? I have looked at every nook and cranny of this ballroom floor and the blood soaked boy is nowhere to be seen? Am I going mad? No that mustn't be it…. I must've been those damned pills I took to sleep on the ride over! That must be it… it has to be.. But that felt so damn real, the amount of blood was grotesque, the flashes of light keeping coming to my eyes like shades opening to the morning sun. I just don't understand what it was i saw? It doesn't make sense? Before i knew of anything, i was at the counter, near one of the recipnotists…

“Oh hello…. Mr.Morrow is it?”

“Uh----- Yes i'm Morrow…”

“splendid , well we here at the cameron are delighted to have you aboard our beautiful vessel----”

I can hear him talking but i am choosing to stop listening, something just didn't feel right about this whole trip… i don't like this boat, i don't like what i just saw, and even worse i feel as if i have gone mad… how has nobody on this whole damn boat not see what i just saw.

“Sir? You have not responded to my questions?”

“Im sorry… im just a little preoccupied, uhm…. What were your questions my fine sir?”

“Well… What room are you staying in this voyage?”

“Uhm…. i don't remember, its on my ticket, i figured i was going to check it while taking the elevator? Why would you not know my cabinet number?”

“Oh, it's my first voyage sir, you mustn't be upset with me. I was poorly prepared for this first trip, strange right? Especially for such an important one…”

“Wait? This is your first voyage?”

“Why yes it is sir…..” he has been interpreted

“Clarence!!!! Jesus christ, i told you to stay away from the higher class folk…”

“I'm sorry father, it was just mr….”he was once again interrupted

“I don't care for what you have to say son…. Sorry sir my name is George…. George Wachter!!” he said with strange ethumasim

“Pleasure….” i shook his hand, but with some sort of hesitation

“Was my son of a bother to you?”

“Why of course not, he wasn't a bother of any sort?”

Who in the hell is this man? Why do both of these people know my name so well, i expect the employees to know the cabinet members granted, but they say my name as if i were a family friend. One that they were all too familiar with…

“I'm sorry gents, i ought to go to my room, i have this letter or telegram to read, and according to a sailor boy it's of utmost urgency!”

“Perfectly fine mr.morrow, please do enjoy your voyage…” he said with lack of care

I began to walk to the elevator finally uninterrupted by the annoyance of the sail mates. The elevator appeared to be painted in crimson gold, beautiful in a lot of ways but lacks a real sense of purpose, coming from an artistic standpoint the color of this whole vessel yelled unoriginality, but a artist i am not. So this slip up doesn't really bother me….

Minutes passed and i had no further problems getting to my cabinet, finally i can sit down and read this god damned note…

“It is of utmost urgency sir…” I mocked the sailor boy

I opened the envelope slowly, it appeared to be suppositious, but i figure there's nothing of interest in this note….

“What the hell…..”

The note…. It's not a note at all….. It's a….. A picture of my wife….. With a sprinkle of reddish crimson, appearing to be…..

“Shit…”

Its blood, who the fuck sent this letter to me, this horrid horrid letter…

I further examined it to only find a encrypted message, it read…

“In the hands of god, we shall sit, before he decides are fate. He holds us over the pit of flame that is hell, sinners are the only ones to fear this hand, for they know god will not spare their lives, that's why they fear him and his oh so powerful hand…”

What the hell does this have to do with me? I don't understand? Who sent me this letter, and why are the tormenting me with such horrid imagery of a sinner in the hands of god? Who did i wrong, to get this kind of torment? I figure that this is all some awful joke…. It must be, i shall go ask the front desk about this.

 

End Of Chapter One

"Dunstan was a talented metalworker and the best known of such stories relates to the time he loved to spend in his forge at Glastonbury Abbey in Somerset (or possibly at Mayfield in Sussex). He was, at this time, having great success in his spreading of the gospels around the south of England, to the increasing annoyance of Old Nick. So one day, the Devil disguised himself as a beautiful young woman and visited Dunstan in his forge. As a girl, he laughed and joked with the saint and used all his charms in an attempt to seduce him; but Dunstan did not even look up from his blacksmithing. Eventually, the Devil's prancing around the room revealed his hooves beneath the billowing skirts. Unmasked, Old Nick was no match for St. Dunstan who calmly took a large pair of red-hot tongs from the blazing fire and clamped them hard on the Devil's nose. His screams could be heard from three miles away as his wings unfurled and he shot into the sky in uncontrollable agony."

 

Stained glass detail of a window by Charles Connick in Grace Cathedral, San Francisco.

In the beginning, there was Jack, and Jack had a groove. And from this groove came the groove of all grooves. And while one day viciously throwing down on his box, Jack boldy declared: "Let there be HOUSE!", and house music was born. "I am, you see, I am the creator, and this is my house! And, in my house there is ONLY house music. But, I am not so selfish because once you enter my house it then becomes OUR house and OUR house music!" And, you see, no one man owns house, because house music is a universal language spoken and understood by all. You see, house is a feeling that no one can understand really unless you're deep into the vibe of house. House is an uncontrollable desire to jack your body. And, as I told you before, this is our house and our house music. And in every house, you understand, there is a keeper. And, in this house, the keeper is Jack. Now some of you who might wonder: "Who is Jack, and what is it that Jack does?" Jack is the one who gives you the power to jack your body! Jack is the one who gives you the power to do the snake! Jack is the one who gives you the key to the wiggly worm! Jack is the one who learns you how to whop your body! Jack is the one that can bring nations and nations of all Jackers together under one house! You may be black, you may be white; you may be Jew or Gentile. It don't make a difference in OUR House! And this is fresh!

Positive feedback mechanisms are designed to accelerate or enhance the output created by a stimulus that has already been activated.

Unlike negative feedback mechanisms that initiate to maintain or regulate physiological functions within a set and narrow range, the positive feedback mechanisms are designed to push levels out of normal ranges. To achieve this purpose, a series of events initiates a cascading process that builds to increase the effect of the stimulus. This process can be beneficial but is rarely used by the body due to risks of the acceleration's becoming uncontrollable.

One positive feedback example event in the body is blood platelet accumulation, which, in turn, causes blood clotting in response to a break or tear in the lining of blood vessels. Another example is the release of oxytocin to intensify the contractions that take place during childbirth.

Negative feedback

Negative feedback mechanisms consist of reducing the output or activity of any organ or system back to its normal range of functioning. A good example of this is regulating blood pressure. Blood vessels can sense resistance of blood flow against the walls when blood pressure increases. The blood vessels act as the receptors and they relay this message to the brain. The brain then sends a message to the heart and blood vessels, both of which are the effectors. The heart rate would decrease as the blood vessels increase in diameter (known as vasodilation). This change would cause the blood pressure to fall back to its normal range. The opposite would happen when blood pressure decreases, and would cause vasoconstriction.

Another important example is seen when the body is deprived of food. The body would then reset the metabolic set point to a lower than normal value. This would allow the body to continue to function, at a slower rate, even though the body is starving. Therefore, people who deprive themselves of food while trying to lose weight would find it easy to shed weight initially and much harder to lose more after. This is due to the body readjusting itself to a lower metabolic set point to allow the body to survive with its low supply of energy. Exercise can change this effect by increasing the metabolic demand.

Another good example of negative feedback mechanism is temperature control. The hypothalamus, which monitors the body temperature, is capable of determining even the slightest variation of normal body temperature (37 degrees Celsius). Response to such variation could be stimulation of glands that produce sweat to reduce the temperature or signaling various muscles to shiver to increase body temperature.

Both feedbacks are equally important for the healthy functioning of one's body. Complications can arise if any of the two feedbacks are affected or altered in any way.

Pataphysical Studios was bursting with art, poetry, music and dance on this first sunny day of the season. The good doctors spent an enchanted afternoon playing together, diving fearlessly into wondrous new dimensions.

 

This week, we had two new visitors: Dr. Rafe and his son Dr. Leo, who picked up the vibe right away and seemed to enjoy this next-to-last demo of the ‘Pataphysical Slot Machine, before its move to the Figurines Ranch. We also held an initiation ceremony for Dr. Jardin, who received her own purple lab coat from Dr. Rindbrain, to the ritual chant of ‘Gooble gobble, we accept her, one of us’.

 

We then discovered another important new ritual: dance breaks! As ‘Johnny Be Good’ started playing, we all started shaking our buns uncontrollably -- and kept on rockin’ through many more tracks from the past. … Judging from the grins on everyone’s faces, this is likely to become a mandatory ritual from now on (albeit a hard one to shoot in low-light, pardon the blurs).

 

In other news, Drs. Igor and Rindbrain taught calligraphy to Drs. Canard and Figurine, so they may make many more words beautiful. Dr. Skidz concocted mysterious plans to paint an art virus on canvas. Dr. Canard whistled to the Golden-Crowned Sparrow, who just flew back in our neck of the woods. Dr. Figurine added a new infinity snake symbol from Dr. Rindbrain to her coat. Dr. Fabio got the sounds working for the Bali Cuckoo Clock and Time Flies wonderboxes. Dr. Igor got all other boxes to play sounds, except one: Mother of Yes — which we will tame next week, just in time for our move. :)

 

Spring is back in the inspiration island. Time for all art makers to come out and play … Follow your bliss!

 

View more 'Pataphysical photos: www.flickr.com/photos/fabola/albums/72157623637793277

 

Watch 'Pataphysical videos: vimeo.com/album/3051039

 

Learn more about Pataphysical Studios: pataphysics.us/

This edgy object was handed to me by the author’ｓ on June 09, 2014.

Only a lot of unfounded rumors have taken on a life of their own.

To be clear, all you know is the situation.

The facts are elsewhere.

I shouldn't have this, "the author's closest friend" should have it.

Hopefully, I would like to donate it to LUMI's museum.

Putting it in the hands of the author's "closest friend" leads to purifying everything, which is probably also the "author's wish" handed to me.

BOX DATE: 1975

MANUFACTURER: Mattel

DOLLS IN LINE: Barbie; Cara; P.J.

MISSING ITEMS: Hair piece, 2 barrettes, 2 ribbons, necklace, shoes, brush, comb, curler

 

PERSONAL FUN FACT: I'm almost 100% sure that this dress came from the "1970s Barbie bin" of 2012. It was one of the outfits that was not entirely trashed from that lot, which is why it stands out in my memory. I just absolutely adore the simplicity of this ensemble--I mean the way it was cut is truly flawless. I think my Malibu P.J. doll totally rocks this outfit. The color teal suits her ultra tan complexion, and I can't get enough of the neckline!!! Considering that this outfit is from the 1970s, I would say that it's quality is more like the clothes from the 1980s. It's very thick and sturdy, and I like that it has snap closures instead of velcro. Many clothes from the 1970s seem to be made from lower quality fabrics, particularly ones that bleed or fade super fast. Not to mention that they also have a tendency to fray uncontrollably. Even if this dress got holes in it, or tore, it would be easy to repair, and the repairs would probably be undetectable.

 

As for the shawl, I got it seven years later, during the spring of 2019. It was in a baggie we purchased at the local flea market for $1. The reason we initially bought the bag was for the Marie Osmond dress inside. I had a hunch that some of the other items could potentially be from the 1970s as well. When Colleen and I first came upon this shawl, we both had a nagging suspicion that it was special. The Quick Curl line ironically came to my mind. But for some reason, I did not investigate this further. Luckily, someone spotted this shawl when we were going through the bag in a video, and formally identified it for us. It honestly doesn't really look like doll clothing--it reminds me more of fringe on the edge of an area rug. I'm so glad we were able to reunite this shawl with the dress though. It definitely makes the outfit feel a bit more complete!

One of my favorite parts of driving the Mother Road was seeing the Route 66 emblems painted on the pavement. Every single time I saw one I was uncontrollably compelled to get out and photograph it. This one is, perhaps, my absolute favorite on a segment of Main Street USA near Essex, California.

  

View On Black <- - - you know it will look better

  

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

 

Route 66 Emblems <- - - a flickr set of all of the emblems I found on Route 66

 

To read more about Route 66, see more photos and read what it's like driving The Mother Road, be sure to visit Adventures of a GoodMan on Route 66

Pataphysical Studios was bursting with art, poetry, music and dance on this first sunny day of the season. The good doctors spent an enchanted afternoon playing together, diving fearlessly into wondrous new dimensions.

 

This week, we had two new visitors: Dr. Rafe and his son Dr. Leo, who picked up the vibe right away and seemed to enjoy this next-to-last demo of the ‘Pataphysical Slot Machine, before its move to the Figurines Ranch. We also held an initiation ceremony for Dr. Jardin, who received her own purple lab coat from Dr. Rindbrain, to the ritual chant of ‘Gooble gobble, we accept her, one of us’.

 

We then discovered another important new ritual: dance breaks! As ‘Johnny Be Good’ started playing, we all started shaking our buns uncontrollably -- and kept on rockin’ through many more tracks from the past. … Judging from the grins on everyone’s faces, this is likely to become a mandatory ritual from now on (albeit a hard one to shoot in low-light, pardon the blurs).

 

In other news, Drs. Igor and Rindbrain taught calligraphy to Drs. Canard and Figurine, so they may make many more words beautiful. Dr. Skidz concocted mysterious plans to paint an art virus on canvas. Dr. Canard whistled to the Golden-Crowned Sparrow, who just flew back in our neck of the woods. Dr. Figurine added a new infinity snake symbol from Dr. Rindbrain to her coat. Dr. Fabio got the sounds working for the Bali Cuckoo Clock and Time Flies wonderboxes. Dr. Igor got all other boxes to play sounds, except one: Mother of Yes — which we will tame next week, just in time for our move. :)

 

Spring is back in the inspiration island. Time for all art makers to come out and play … Follow your bliss!

 

View more 'Pataphysical photos: www.flickr.com/photos/fabola/albums/72157623637793277

 

Watch 'Pataphysical videos: vimeo.com/album/3051039

 

Learn more about Pataphysical Studios: pataphysics.us/

Experimenting with lights in an uncontrollable situation

The year before this photo was taken, Ted and I were driving through Virginia on the way to Austin, Texas. It was about 10 or so hours into the nearly 30 hour drive. We kept seeing these empty blue signs along the highway (waiting to be filled with promise of gas stations and rest areas...) and thought it would be cool to photograph one, but could never slow down enough to snap them in time.

 

A little past Christiansburg, I had to take a whiz real bad. I hadn't seen a place to go in a while, and didn't know when the next rest area or gas station would be. Not to mention it was around 11 pm - who knew what would be open. I’m not a very good just-hold-it-in guy. I especially hate driving when agitated like that, because if you know you’ve got to go, you should go, in case you get stuck in traffic on a bridge (has happened to me plenty of times) or need to focus because of the weather or something. And I really had to pee. My legs were shaking. I was trying to scratch an itch on my shoulder with my ear. My hands tapped the steering wheel uncontrollably and I couldn’t grasp it any longer, much less clench my fists. Where was the next rest area? We hadn’t seen one in so long! And then I saw the damn sign – the empty blue sign, with no rest area and no gas station. That was all I could take. So I did what my parents always did when I was young and couldn't hold it any longer... I pulled the car over, hit the hazards, hopped out and relieved myself. Ted did the same.

 

Not 40 seconds after getting out of the car and makin' rainbows do we hear sirens and see lights.

 

We were getting pulled over... sort of.

 

I walk over to the cop, all friendly like, take off my cowboy hat (bein' the respectful well mannered young man I can sometimes pretend to be), and say "Hi!"

 

"Are you the driver of this vehicle?"

 

"I am. Can I help you with something?"

 

"Sir, could you have a seat in the passenger side of my vehicle please." (This was not a question.)

 

So, I did, and tried to chat with him, make nice. Told him we were coming down from New York on our way to Texas, just passin' through, had to stay up all night, so we drank a lot of coffee. I apologized for urinating on the side of the road. He waved it off. So, why did he "pull me over"? If not for my uncouth public urination?

 

"You're not allowed to pull over in the break-down lane unless it's an emergency."

 

"Well... it kind of was an emergency..."

 

"You realize that the longer you stay in the break-down lane, the more of a Danger you are to yourself and everyone driving by? You could get plowed right into." I looked back over my shoulder at the steady stream of 80+ mile an hour semi's flicking by.

 

"Uh, yeah."

 

"There was a rest area just two miles up the road there."

 

"Oh... I didn't know that; see, that sign's blank."

 

"Sir there's another sign posted up just a mile ahead." I was tired of arguing with him. He wanted to nail me for my out of state plates. I couldn’t win this one.

 

Then a peculiar call came over the radio. "Bzzzt - We have a [police code number - can't remember which one] on a 5 foot 10 gentleman, brown hair, traveling in an SUV, coming from New York, repeat, that's a [police code number]" Wait a second... I've got an SUV... and I'm coming from New York... And I've got brown hair... I put my cowboy hat back on.

 

The cop is suddenly completely still. For like, twenty seconds. Twenty long seconds. I could hear him breathing.

 

I'm about to say something, make a joke or something, when he slowly starts reaching for the radio. "Uh.. can.. I get a license check on [my license number - spoken very slowly.. with a little twinge in his voice]"

 

This guy was scared! Scared of ME! AWESOME! It was kind of satisfying to see him quake in fear of me, for whatever evil I may have done to warrant that particular police-code number. Eventually, they radio'd back with an 'all-clear.’ He gave me my ticket, and I was on my way. Do you know how long I sat there in his car? Twenty minutes. That's twenty minutes we were a danger to ourselves and anyone else passing by, sitting ducks for someone to plow into us. And the ticket was 30 stupid dollars, with 45 stupid dollar processing fee. He told me he let me off easy - he could have 'given me points on my license.'

 

For having to go to the bathroom.

 

Sorry.

 

So as it turns out, Ted had tried to take a picture of that blue sign while waiting for me, but his camera battery died (and it's one of those Kodak digital cam's that leaves the lense out when the battery dies. What a pain. We drove on, and laughed about it.

 

Exactly a year later (almost… it was light out this time), on another Austin trip, we drove by the very same spot. Ted slowed down, I leaned out the window and got this shot.

 

Oh, highway patrol... I had to pee.

 

samantha was radiant today - the rest of us were sweating uncontrollably in the humid 90 degree heat but somehow she stayed calm, COOL, and beautiful.

Disturbing appearances

Crippling depression

Triggering thoughts

Uncontrollable selfharm

They give me numbing shots to prepare me for the shocktherapy treatment

I've never felt such an overwelming fear. My mind is blurred, i cant even speak, my body is shivering, my sweat is cold and my blood is freezing. I know I wont make it this time. My heart is too weak. There is no heartbeat left anymore...

 

listen

9.22.11

three generations right here,we never notice it i don't think but when we are together let me tell you we're nothing but a huge mess,today i kid you not we talked about farting for an hour...we did nothing but giggle uncontrollably,i had the privilege of spending the day with these two lovely ladys,im not gonna lie,it was more amazing then words could allow me to say,they both don't understand why i always want to photograph them but the truth is i never want to forget them..i know i never will because they are such a huge part of my life but i want as many photographic memories as possible,they have no idea how much they mean to me,it's not the blood that holds up together,there is something more i swear there is,it's a huge realization sometimes when i take time to look at things,and it's days like these,i never want them to end,never ever,but i know the day will come but pray for heaven sakes it doesn't come soon,i mean with all the troubles my grandmother suffers through everyday i am thankful for every precious moment with her,im blessed to still have her here,almost 4years after my great grandfather passed away she's the strongest old lady i know,and she's still hanging on with all she's got,I'D BE NO WHERE AND NO ONE WITHOUT THEM BOTH

oldest to youngest

Nina.Osie.Tucker.Dunn:87:Widow:strongest woman i know will ever know

Wendy.Gail.Dunn:43:Single Mom:most supportive woman in the world

saved the best for last

Heather.Andrea.Dunn:17:Spoken For:im nothign much just the girl behind the camera...mostly

Facebook

Pataphysical Studios was bursting with art, poetry, music and dance on this first sunny day of the season. The good doctors spent an enchanted afternoon playing together, diving fearlessly into wondrous new dimensions.

 

This week, we had two new visitors: Dr. Rafe and his son Dr. Leo, who picked up the vibe right away and seemed to enjoy this next-to-last demo of the ‘Pataphysical Slot Machine, before its move to the Figurines Ranch. We also held an initiation ceremony for Dr. Jardin, who received her own purple lab coat from Dr. Rindbrain, to the ritual chant of ‘Gooble gobble, we accept her, one of us’.

 

We then discovered another important new ritual: dance breaks! As ‘Johnny Be Good’ started playing, we all started shaking our buns uncontrollably -- and kept on rockin’ through many more tracks from the past. … Judging from the grins on everyone’s faces, this is likely to become a mandatory ritual from now on (albeit a hard one to shoot in low-light, pardon the blurs).

 

In other news, Drs. Igor and Rindbrain taught calligraphy to Drs. Canard and Figurine, so they may make many more words beautiful. Dr. Skidz concocted mysterious plans to paint an art virus on canvas. Dr. Canard whistled to the Golden-Crowned Sparrow, who just flew back in our neck of the woods. Dr. Figurine added a new infinity snake symbol from Dr. Rindbrain to her coat. Dr. Fabio got the sounds working for the Bali Cuckoo Clock and Time Flies wonderboxes. Dr. Igor got all other boxes to play sounds, except one: Mother of Yes — which we will tame next week, just in time for our move. :)

 

Spring is back in the inspiration island. Time for all art makers to come out and play … Follow your bliss!

 

View more 'Pataphysical photos: www.flickr.com/photos/fabola/albums/72157623637793277

 

Watch 'Pataphysical videos: vimeo.com/album/3051039

 

Learn more about Pataphysical Studios: pataphysics.us/

Charlotte Russe trench

Vintage plaid shirt

Urban Outfitters shorts and flats

Vintage beret

 

Do you ever have an uncontrollable desire to “be more”? I do. And I know it’s something I’ve talked about before (ok, so I’ve killed this subject) but I obsess over improving myself... read more.

Pataphysical Studios was bursting with art, poetry, music and dance on this first sunny day of the season. The good doctors spent an enchanted afternoon playing together, diving fearlessly into wondrous new dimensions.

 

This week, we had two new visitors: Dr. Rafe and his son Dr. Leo, who picked up the vibe right away and seemed to enjoy this next-to-last demo of the ‘Pataphysical Slot Machine, before its move to the Figurines Ranch. We also held an initiation ceremony for Dr. Jardin, who received her own purple lab coat from Dr. Rindbrain, to the ritual chant of ‘Gooble gobble, we accept her, one of us’.

 

We then discovered another important new ritual: dance breaks! As ‘Johnny Be Good’ started playing, we all started shaking our buns uncontrollably -- and kept on rockin’ through many more tracks from the past. … Judging from the grins on everyone’s faces, this is likely to become a mandatory ritual from now on (albeit a hard one to shoot in low-light, pardon the blurs).

 

In other news, Drs. Igor and Rindbrain taught calligraphy to Drs. Canard and Figurine, so they may make many more words beautiful. Dr. Skidz concocted mysterious plans to paint an art virus on canvas. Dr. Canard whistled to the Golden-Crowned Sparrow, who just flew back in our neck of the woods. Dr. Figurine added a new infinity snake symbol from Dr. Rindbrain to her coat. Dr. Fabio got the sounds working for the Bali Cuckoo Clock and Time Flies wonderboxes. Dr. Igor got all other boxes to play sounds, except one: Mother of Yes — which we will tame next week, just in time for our move. :)

 

Spring is back in the inspiration island. Time for all art makers to come out and play … Follow your bliss!

 

View more 'Pataphysical photos: www.flickr.com/photos/fabola/albums/72157623637793277

 

Watch 'Pataphysical videos: vimeo.com/album/3051039

 

Learn more about Pataphysical Studios: pataphysics.us/

Amelia's got an uncontrollable passion: shopping!

Uncontrollable passion that is a sort of illness, she buys clothes, underwear, accessories, cosmetics, but also kitchenware...

For her buying is "like to wake up in the morning and realize that it's Saturday! It's like best moments of sex".

In every shop or department store, in every catalogue she always finds the big chance, the irresistible thing she can't give up buying!

She goes out to buy some milk and.... she returns home carrying a bag of Harrods...

But she opens terrorized the bank statement....

  

Fashion credits:

fur jacket: Aria Electropop

top: Barbie On Location Montecarlo

jeans and shoes: Barbie Basic

purse: Barbie Top Model

jewels by me

Eric's good friends Jody and Zibby took us for a fun ride on the water with "uncontrollable urge", their bayliner 175.

 

I'm getting used to the fact that Vancouver is surrounded by so much nature, but I was really blown away to see the amazing view from the boat.

 

A big thanks to Jody, Zibby and cutie Tristan.

 

**View On Black**

 

www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkxRgTPNVus

 

Où sont passés les années, le bon vieux temps

Les fou rires incontrôlés qu'on aimait tant ?

Je revois les personnages, qu'on n'oublie pas

Celle de la petite fille sage que j'étais pas

 

(Where have the years gone, the good old time

The uncontrollable laughs which we loved so

I see the characters again, which we don't forget

The one of the little smart girl which I was not)

  

Une ombre m'a frôlée de près, pour me voler

Prendre mon âme, mes intérêts

Laissez-moi, ça sa me dit pas

On est jamais trop sûr, je reste sur mes gardes

Tous les points de sutures, menacent et nous regardent

Je veux pas de blessures, pas de coups durs

Je préfère rien oser, me garder

 

(A shadow has brushed against me, to steal from me

Take my soul, my interests

Leave this to me, I don't care

One's never too sure, I'll stay careful

All the scarring wounds, menaces and looks at us

I want no wounds, no hard blows

I prefer to dare nothing, to keep)

  

On n'oublie pas l'origine, le développement

Qui restent et qui nous cheminent, fatalement

 

(One doesn't forget the origin, the development

Which stays and takes root, fatally)

  

© All rights reserved Anna Kwa. Please do not use this image on websites, blogs or any other media without my explicit written permission.