Geek Lit (?): Layfayette In The Somewhat United States

Author Sarah Vowell has a unique voice both in reality and in her reality.  The former is pretty easy to prove:  she’s not only an NPR regular contributor, but she voiced the teenage daughter in The Incredibles.

However, her passion is American history.  Vowell’s books detail some facet of history, and does so as she travels around, getting material, and recounting not only the history person or event, but also how she researched the topic, making it as much a travelogue as a history book.  Her latest is Lafayette in the Somewhat United States.  After the cut is my review and, well, SPOILERS?  It’s history.  Two hundred year old history.  We won the Revolutionary War.  Let’s move on.

Podcast Reaction: The Pixar Edition

On the podcast this week, the guys and Jenny discussed digital stuff, mostly digital animation.

And let me say, for the record, that though I am the only Gabbing Geek regular who had absolutely nothing to do with Ryan’s Fallen…it was a good read.  Check it out.

But now, let’s talk about Pixar and the most messed-up List of Truth yet…

Not Just A Pixar Character! The Original Elasti-Girl

“I’ll just put this down somewhere.”

Gabbing Geek Jenny has, in the past, stated her belief in Madam Xanadu as an iconic character.  I tried one before to to suggest that maybe Phantom Lady had a better claim to that title under her criteria (does not have a male version, has not cameoed in a movie or TV show, has an origin story older than the mid-90s, and has been read by Jenny).  Jenny said Phantom Lady’s costume sucked (which, to be fair, it does), but maybe for my weekly “This one died!” column we can try a different character with a better claim than Madam Xanadu.

Let’s talk about Elasti-Girl.  And I do not mean the one in The Incredibles.  Pixar actually asked DC for permission to use the name, and it was granted so long as the name was never used in the marketing.  If you get that action figure from The Incredibles line, her name will be listed as “Mrs. Incredible”.

But let’s talk the original.

Incredibles 2, You Say? Sure, Why Not, Brad Bird Says!

 

There doesn’t seem to be much excitement over the upcoming Fantastic Four movie.  And the past ones were rather blah at best too.  Could it be that no one can get that particular family of superheroes right?

Well, yeah, someone could.  Brad Bird, director of both animated and live action films, sort of pulled it off with the excellent Pixar film The Incredibles, where a stretchy hero, a strong hero, an invisible/forcefield projecting hero, a younger member who bursts into flames…and a speedster…save the day from a jealous guy who’s power comes only from technology and then go off to fight some guy who popped up out of the ground like some kind of mole.  Well, its mostly like Marvel’s FF, and it was a ton of fun.  What could make it more fun?

Hey, how about Bird saying his next film will be The Incredibles 2?

I’d be up for that.  Even if sequels are often disappointing compared to the original.

Yes, I will use this announcement to pimp my own articles.  Why do you ask?