Lana Lang becomes a Street Fighter

On Friday 12/21, Dark Horizons (my choice for movie and television news) cited Coming Soon as reporting that one of my very favorite actors, Kristin Kreuk of Lana Lang of Smallville fame, will be taking on the role of Chun-Li in the new movie "Street Fighter: Legend of Chun-Li." Does this mean hell has frozen over? I thought it was extra chilly here in Phoenix this week.

While I haven't yet mentioned it in this blog, I've never been afraid to be vocal about my disdain for the Lana Lang character on Smallville. The character is written horribly, and in my opinion, Kristin Kreuk doesn't bring anything to the screen. Watching scenes between Clark and Lana is as painful to me as listening to nails on a chalkboard or a live Amy Winehouse performance. She is one of the major reasons I've found Smallville borderline unwatchable lately. I honestly feel the show would improve by at least an order of magnitude if the Lana Lang character were to disappear.

Therefore, I was very surprised to read about the Street Fighter signing. Actually, I don't even know why I care. It's not like I was ever, EVER going to see this movie. I mean, I already find it hard to pay $12 to see good movies, so this one never stood a chance. Maybe I'm just upset because once again, as usually happens in Hollywood, a crappy performance is rewarded with a bigger role. Or maybe I'm upset because Chun-Li was the character I used 90% of the time while playing Street Fighter back in the day, and I don't want those cherished childhood memories of wasting time pumping quarters into that machine tarnished by now being associated with Lana Lang.

Whatever the reason, I'm not predicting much success for the new Street Fighter movie...

San Diego Hotel Supply and Demand

Late last week, after a meeting, a co-worker and I were griping about typical office BS when discussion moved to the 2008 San Diego Comic-Con, specifically lodging for said convention. He and his wife attend all four days of Comic-Con every year, and a few days prior, out of boredom, he started researching hotels for 2008. He was very shocked by what he saw.

Last year, he and his wife stayed at a Best Western, which averaged $160 per night. With the growing popularity of the convention, he was expecting a 10%-20% increase. Instead, he found that particular hotel was charging an average of $230 a night for the 2008 dates. That’s more than a 40% increase! But here’s the kicker. Out of curiosity, my co-worker checked the price for the weekend before and the weekend after the convention, and in each case, the hotel was only charging $170 per night. In other words, Comic-Con attendees get to pay an extra 35%.

This got me curious about how widespread this trend really is, so I did a bit of my own research this past weekend. I plugged dates for the weekend of, and the weekend before, the convention into Expedia and searched the “San Diego – Downtown and Airport” region. Here’s a sample of the data that was returned (Hotel name ; user rating out of 5 ; per night price the weekend before ; per night price the weekend of):

Harbor View Inn ; N/A ; $223 ; $223
Comfort Inn Airport ; 4.1 ; $168 ; $229
Marina Inn ; 2.7 ; $247 ; $247
Comfort Inn Gaslamp ; 3.8 ; $153 ; $298
Courtyard Mariott Gaslamp ; 4.6 ; $289 ; $359
Sheraton Hotel & Marina ; 4.3 ; $369 ; $369
Ramada Gaslamp ; 3.3 ; $175 ; $389
W San Diego ; 3.6 ; $259 ; $459

Granted, those hotels are close to the convention center and most likely in the upper end of the price spectrum, but according to Expedia, they’re all that’s available. The lower cost hotels (Days Inn Downtown, Best Western Bayside, Hampton Inn) don’t have the convention dates available. In fact, of the 30+ hotels that Expedia returned for the downtown area, 20 aren’t available on the convention weekend. Whether that means they’re not available now and will release rooms in the future, or they’re just plain sold-out remains to be seen. The bottom line is you should probably start making plans sooner rather than later.

Now, for the record, I see nothing wrong with the hotels increasing prices for Comic-Con weekend. I’m an unapologetic capitalist, and they’re just following basic supply and demand. If people are willing/stupid enough to pay those prices, then by all means charge it. I’m a firm believer that prices will always self-correct to what the market can support. And please note, there are still plenty of less expensive rooms available outside of the downtown area, such as near Qualcomm Stadium, so things aren’t as grim as they could be.

With that said, does anyone out there want to share a room with me? My only requirement is that you wear a Catwoman or Supergirl costume whenever in the room.

QFT #2: The First Annual QFT Favorite Comic Book Awards (Part 2)

NOTE: I originally wrote these awards as a single column, but my plans changed when I noticed the word count quickly approaching 2000 when I was just over 50% finished. Therefore, rather than blowing the proverbial wad all at once, I decided to break-up the column into two parts, and post them over several days. Thus giving the appearance of more regular updates to Quoted For Truth for not much more work. That’s either efficient or lazy. I’ll let you be the judge.

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Favorite cross-over or mini-series: The Sinestro Corps War; Green Lantern, Green Lantern Corps #21-25, #14-18

At the time of writing this prose, I have not yet read Green Lantern #25, the final chapter in The Sinestro Corps War, and due to end of the year deadlines at my day job, there is a very good chance I won’t read it next until weekend. I know, I know. My priorities aren’t where they should be. However, I’m confident this cross-over will remain my favorite of the year regardless of the last chapter. It’s like when you’re going into the final exam of a class in which you’ve aced every homework assignment, every quiz, and every mid-term, and therefore you’ve really got to bend over for that final not to get a good grade. Of course, one of my friends just happens to be the exception to that rule as he not only failed the final in our Differential Equations class, he low scored it by about 30 points, thus dropping his solid A to, well, quite a bit lower than that.

With that said, I’m not going to list all the reasons this mini-series rocked the hizzy. You can read about the art and the writing and the action and the plot twists and the mythology expansion in any review on any message board. Well, almost any review. It seams The Buy Pile over at Comic Book Resources felt this was “the end of another disappointing green-themed crossover,” and included Green Lantern #25 in the “No, just… no” portion of the column. Everyone is entitled to his opinion, I guess.

As for me, I very much share the positive opinions, so there’s really no need to repeat them in yet another corner of the internet. What I will add to the discussion, however, is this; I’m happy that SCW soared to such acclaim without promotional help from DC. Each of the Big Two routinely saturates the market with promos for its next event regardless of its scope. But I don’t remember there being much for SCW.

It really seemed to arrive on the scene without much fanfare. Perhaps DC had been left a tad gun-shy by the less than successfully received Amazons Attack, so it didn’t want to risk heavily promoting another “event” that might also flop. Whatever the reason, it allowed readers to form their own opinions of the cross-over, and its popularity skyrocketed via word of mouth – one of the purest gauges for measuring success.

I also give DC a lot of credit. After it realized it had something special in its hands, it esseintially told Geoff Johns and the rest of the creative team, “If you guys need more time to tell your story, take it. We’ll make the other books work around it.” In an age of seemingly tighter and tighter editorial controls, especially in DC, that decision is remarkable. I don’t think it could have worked out any better.

Runner up: Checkout; Outsiders #47-49, Checkmate #13-15

Favorite comic book (single issue): Catwoman #71

The first thing that struck me about this book was Will Pfeifer’s absolutely wonderful characterization of the Batman/Bruce-Catwoman/Selina relationship. In my opinion, it’s the best interpretation given since the relationship was elevated in the Hush storyline when Bruce revealed his secret identity. I’ll even go so far as to say that Pfeifer understands Batman better than most Batman writers when Selina says:

See, here’s the thing people don’t get about Bruce. They think he’s all about beating up badguys or striking terror into the hearts of the underworld. But that’s not it. That’s not it all. When you get right down to it, when you take away the cape and the cowl and the capital “T” in “The Batman”… He’s all about protecting the innocent.

If I wasn’t such a manly man, that might have brought tears to my eyes.

The second moment that struck me was in Helena’s bedroom when Selina-Bruce changed to Catwoman-Batman. Here we had this tender, quiet moment filled with compassion and desperation. Then the masks come on and it’s all business. I’ve reviewed those panels over and over again, trying to determine just what David Lopez did with his art to change the mood so immediately yet subtly. But other than stronger body positioning, I can’t pinpoint anything specific. It’s gotta be magic.

But here the biggest reason I feel this is the book of the year: If I were to give a single book to a person who doesn’t read comics, in hopes that it would hook him/her into the genre, it would be Catwoman #71. I would recommend this book to anyone. I think it hits the right notes with both males and females. It stands on its own, and doesn’t require months and of backstory to enjoy, yet will still leave you wanting to read the backstories and future adventures. And even though there is no action, I don’t think the noobie would miss it.

It’s just a great book. Period.

Runner up: Nothing even comes close to Catwoman #71. That’s how much I enjoyed it. But if I have to pick a runner up, I would say the Sinestro Corps one-shot.

Favorite comic book (on-going series): Catwoman

My selection criterion for this category is fairly bulletproof. I simply ask myself, “When I get my stack of new comics home, which book is the last book I read?” You see, whereas I think a lot of people go for the instant gratification and read their favorite books first, I read my favorites last. I like to savor the anticipation and allow my excitement to build and my heart-rate to increase as I get closer and closer to reading the final book, my favorite book, of the week. And yes, I keep my pants on when I read comics… 98% of the time anyway.

There are two titles that consistently go to the bottom of the pile; Catwoman and Supergirl. I’m giving the nod to Catwoman, because I never once regretted leaving it until last, whereas I was utterly disappointed by the Supergirl fill-in arc by Bedard and Guedes. Yuck.

Catwoman just pushes all my right buttons. The art and writing perfectly compliment each other. David Lopez draws a beautiful, strong, sexy woman, but not in the stereotypical T&A fashion found in most comic books. Instead, he allows her face to display all those characteristics. For me, Selina’s eyes and lips are her most telling features, and even when she puts on the Catwoman goggles, those characteristics remain, and a mischievousness is introduced. Lopez has also done a great job OYL drawing Selina as a mother. Sure, she’s a MILF, but still a mother.

Will Pfeifer always writes a compelling story, and he does so without relying on universe altering events to give relevancy to Selina’s place in the DC mythos. Nor does he rely on blockbuster gueststars for bumps in ratings (for the record, I don’t include the occasional appearance of Batman in this “blockbuster gueststar” category, because they’re more like fun bonuses for us readers). Preifer’s dialogue is witty, quick, and sarcastic, but certainly does not lack emotion. Basically, Selina is my kind of woman. She’s devoted and compassionate, but not afraid to kick your ass if you tell one too many bad jokes or playful insults.

I will never understand why this title is not a top seller. More people need to pick it up.

Runner up: Supergirl

QFT #2: The First Annual QFT Favorite Comic Book Awards (Part 1)

NOTE: I originally wrote these awards as a single column, but my plans changed when I noticed the word count quickly approaching 2000 when I was just over 50% finished. Therefore, rather than blowing the proverbial wad all at once, I decided to break-up the column into two parts, and post them over several days. Thus giving the appearance of more regular updates to Quoted For Truth for not much more work. That’s either efficient or lazy. I’ll let you be the judge.

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As the final weeks of 2007 come and go, year end “best of” and “worst of” lists are popping up all across the internet. I see no reason why Quoted For Truth should be any different. Not only would a list of my favorite items in various comic book categories be a great way for my new readers (all three of you) to discover what I enjoy reading, but it would be a very easy second column to write.

Just please keep in mind that Quoted For Truth was only conceived a few weeks ago, and therefore I’m basing all of my picks on my memory without any research. If I successfully fight-off my adult ADD and am still writing this column next year, I will make sure to take adequate and detailed notes on each book I read throughout the year, such that my picks will be more accurate. Further, it’s important to note that I’m picking only from books I’ve actually read, so I’m sure many widely popular books will be left out.

Thus, without further ado, I present the 2007 QFT awards for my favorite “whatevers” in comic books.

Favorite new series (shipped at least three issues in 2007): Booster Gold

This was a very close decision. Booster Gold and Buffy Season 8 were neck and neck all the way to the wire with Booster Gold #5 and Buffy #9 shipping in December. Now, I am a total Buffy mark. It’s a possible all-time top five television for me. But the science nerd in me loves a well constructed time travel story (you should see all the books on theoretical physics that deal with the topic in my bookcase). Add that to that Booster Gold has a quirky and off-the-cuff sense of humor, and the scale is tipped in its favor. Sorry, Buffy.

Booster Gold also gets a big, gold star for being a mystery with enough details for people like me to obsess over. It’s a major reason why I’m still a Lost fan despite many viewers jumping ship. If the dozens and dozens of incredibly creative theories on Lost message boards are any indication, you can spend a lot of time researching the meaning of, say, a statue of a foot with only four toes in real world mythology and science and then try to apply it to the show. In the case of Booster Gold, you can spend a lot of time researching the meaning of “The vigilante knows the traitor – the league does not!” in the mythology and science of the DC Universe and then try to apply it to the book.

Basically what I’m saying is Booster Gold is the perfect book for both obsessive nerds with a quirky sense of humor and non-obsessive nerds who just appreciate a well thought out and orchestrated story.

Runner up: Buffy Season 8

Favorite scene: Batman pwning the Legion of Superheroes in Brave & the Bold #4

Brave & the Bold has just been a fun series. It’s so refreshing to read a story that seemingly has many layers of complexity yet to explored, but each issue can be taken at face value and still be completely entertaining. Mark Waid has successfully made Brave & the Bold what it should be; a collection of fantastical tales that wouldn’t really work in a more “grounded” book.

There have been a number of great scenes in this book from Batman mentoring Blue Beetle to Hal Jordan having impure thoughts about Supergirl. The latter scene I can easily relate to, as I have also had impure thoughts about Supergirl on numerous occasions, not to mention one of life-long goals is to become a dirty old man in a few of decades.

However, the scene that made me smile the widest and shout “hellz yeah” the loudest was Batman pwning the Legion of Superheroes. I very much enjoyed the way he outsmarted them like the kids they are. But what tickled me the most was Batman stealing Brainiac’s flight ring, thus inadvertently forcing him to reveal to the rest of the Legion that he had designed his flight ring with slightly superior capabilities. All the while, Brainac looks down his nose at Batman and his caveman-like intellect, yet we all know damned well if the JLA wore flight rings, Batman would have included the exact same capabilities in his ring, if not more. So tactically, Brainiac is just using Batman’s old tricks.

Runner up: Batman pwning the Sinestro Corp ring.

Favorite penciller: Jim Lee; All Star Batman & Robin

When DC announced yet another shipping date for ASB&R #6, I started a long-winded rant in my store about how everybody complains about late books, yet no one ever voices his dissatisfaction by NOT buying the book. Personally, I vowed not to buy anything beyond issue five, and I’ve stuck to that vow, even going so far as to sell my run of #1-4.

Before the issue ever found its way onto the shelf, DC rescheduled its shipping date two more times. In the middle of the rescheduling, Jim Lee showed fans his completed artwork at an early season convention, photos of which found their way onto numerous message boards. I remember very clearly clicking on those links, viewing that art, and immediately muttering to myself, “F’ing Jim Lee. You’re gonna make me start collecting this book again.”

Thankfully my cheapness overcame the fanboy in me, and I didn’t start collecting the series again – unless you count the one or two copies that remained on the shelf. I mean, if a customer doesn’t buy them, I suppose I technically bought them. Regardless, the point is I was floored by what I saw, and a very small part of my brain actually tried to convince me that art this incredible was worth the delays.

So even though it really pains me to do so, because of the delays and because only three issues shipped in 2007, I think my gut reaction to the art speaks for itself, and I have to give the award to Jim Lee. What can I say… he draws a bitchin’ Batman, both of the regular and goddam varieties.

Runner up: David Lopez; Catwoman

Favorite writer: Geoff Johns; Booster Gold, 52, Green Lantern

In my original outline for this column, my notes indicated that this award was a toss-up between Paul Dini and Will Pfeifer. However, as I detailed my reasoning for the other awards, I found myself gushing over Booster Gold and the Sinestro Corps War, because of the superb writing in each case. When it dawned on me that Geoff Johns is responsible for both books, as well as sharing co-responsibility for 52 (remember, half of 52 was shipped in 2007), it became very obvious that he should receive my award for favorite writer.

He has a real knack for evolving a story, and even a character’s mythology, without shoehorning or forcing all the new developments. The new elements fit so naturally within the old cannon, that I rarely find myself thinking, “Oh please. That makes no sense whatsoever.” For example, the symmetry of the newly created color spectrum in the Green Lantern mythos is found all around us, including the basic building blocks of the universe. It’s so strangely logical that it might as well have been part of The Blackest Night prophecy from the very beginning. That’s the mark of a good writer.

Speaking of the The Blackest Night prophecy… during translation, that phrase could easily have been recorded incorrectly. Maybe it’s actually The Darkest Night prophecy. And I think we all know a certain pointy-eared, knightly character who would obviously play a big role in an event called the Darkest Night… I’m just saying.

I’m kidding, of course.

Runner up: Will Pfeifer; Catwoman

(to be continued...)

Newly Released Teaser for The Dark Knight

Over the weekend, official copies of the new teaser trailer for The Dark Knight popped up on the internet, as did several new teaser posters. A great summary page is here at Dark Horizons, and high resolution downloads of the teaser trailer can be found here at the official movie site.

I gotta say, this trailer has dissipated a lot of my apprehension about the movie. For instance, the Bat-cycle or Bat-pod or whatever they’re calling the new vehicle doesn’t look nearly as lame in the proper lighting and in motion. I had a feeling that would be the case, but it certainly didn’t stop me from doing the whole “fanboy overreacts” bitch-fest with my friends.

The teaser also gave me warm and fuzzies about The Joker. Although I was never all that worried, I’m definitely now more excited about Heath Ledger’s performance than I was before seeing the teaser. For the record, my concern was never “Will Heath’s Joker be as good as Jack’s Joker?” At the time, Nicholson’s performance was a “never seen anything like it before” performance, but much like the movie itself, his Joker has not withstood the test of time, at least in my opinion. There was too much silliness and not enough ruthless, sadistic genius for me. In fact, I’m saddened that so many people only know The Joker as Jack’s Joker.

Instead, my concern was derived from toeing the fine line between being true to the comic book and making a “realistic” movie. The first movie was able to do that because of the villain involved. Ra’s Al Ghul translates much more easily into reality than The Joker. I mean, the Clown Prince of Crime is a guy that has permanent clown make-up and wears a purple suit. It doesn’t get much more comic booky than that. How much will need to be toned down in order make the character “real”?

Well, based on the sampling of footage, they just might have gotten it right. The suit is a dirty purple and green, instead of the bold, vibrant colors of the comics; a decision I love. In fact, the color choice probably has most impact of any change they could make. Christopher Nolan might just pull this off after all. As a side note, I’ll still give him major props if he includes the lethal hand buzzer.

So even though I feel a lot better about The Joker’s look, there is still one major fly in my ointment that the teaser did nothing to address, and that’s the new Batman costume. Granted, all my pre-conceived notions are based on the few still photos online. Hopefully, like that Bat-pod, it will look much better in the lighting and context of the film. But being the pessimist that I am, I will continue to assume the costume will ruin the movie until it’s proved otherwise.

Supergirl moving to The OC?

I’m a big internet news junkie, browsing maybe a dozen or so websites every day. Being from Phoenix, I visit AZCentral.com (the website for the Arizona Republic) several times a day. During one visit this afternoon, I noticed the headline, “Mischa wants to get naked.” Now, I freely admit to being a The OC fan, and most of the time naked anything is worth a look. Yet, Mischa Barton annoys me to no end, and I don’t find her attractive at all, so I’m not really sure why I clicked on the article. However, if I hadn’t, I wouldn’t have read the following:

The actress is rumoured to have been offered the starring role in the new 'Supergirl' movie, and admits she would love to play the sexy heroine. She said: "It would be pretty awesome. But everybody in Hollywood goes up for those films. I haven't been offered anything."

Mischa Barton being cast as my beloved Kara Zor-El shouldn’t even be joked about. First, she doesn’t look the part. Her build is far too skinny – and for all you critics that claim the current Supergirl looks anorexic, well I’ve got a column in the works to dispute that and all your other hate. Second, based on her limited time on television, I seriously doubt she can pull off a strong, heroic character. She’s just a crappy actor. Anyway you look at it, Mischa Barton is a completely inappropriate choice.

Look, I didn’t even know a Supergirl movie was being planned, and I have my doubts that it’s anything more than just the word “Supergirl” on some producers list of ideas. But obviously, I would love to see Kara on the big screen, just not if Barton, or a similar actor, portrays her.

Who's Batman is best?

Last week (and replayed this morning) on The Kevin & Bean Show, the morning show on KROQ 106.7 FM here in Los Angeles, they ran another installment of “The Decider,” a regular feature in which Kevin Smith of Silent Bob fame, calls in to provide the final voice in a random on-air dispute between Kevin & Bean Show family members.

In this particular episode, Ralph and Mike were debating which actor played the best Batman. Ralph, who has a serious man-crush on Adam West, was of course supporting West. Mike, on the other hand, who has an equally serious man-crush on Christian Bale, was squarely in Bale’s corner. Now, I won’t repeat or analyze each side’s arguments, as it is far easier to just listen to the segment on the Kevin & Bean “sounds” page at KROQ’s website (click on Kevin & Bean, then “Sounds”). Instead, I’ll just move on to the Decider himself.

Kevin Smith threw a curve ball by declaring Michael Keaton the best Batman. Michael Keaton? WTF?? For supporting evidence, Smith stated, among other things, that Keaton is the only actor to portray Batman as being uncomfortable in the Bruce Wayne persona, just biding his time until he can put on the batsuit. While I agree that Batman never wants to wear the Bruce Wayne beard for very long, I would not say he’s uncomfortable playing that part.

In fact, I think it is more of an annoyance to him than anything. I mean, this is the goddam Batman we’re talking about here. He’s not uncomfortable with anything. Like most day jobs, it’s just a means to the end. I find my job annoying at times. I’d much rather be out hiking or bustin’ caps or sitting on my ass while picking up chicks on the internet. But that doesn’t mean I’m uncomfortable with my job, and I’ve never gotten that impression from any of the comics I’ve read.

However, I will give props to Kevin Smith for making a point to mention Kevin Conroy as consistently giving the best Batman performance, even though animation was not being included in the discussion.

For the record, if animation is included, here are my picks:

Kevin Conroy
Christian Bale
Val Kilmer
Adam West
Michael Keaton
Rino Romano (The Batman)
George Clooney

QTF #1: Please Allow Myself to Introduce… Myself

Welcome to the first edition of Quoted For Truth, soon to be the least discussed and least popular column about comic books on the internet. My name is Cody Machler, and I will be the narrator on this adventure full of discovery, philosophical ponderings, and downright ridiculousness.

While numerous topics will be touched upon, the primary area of discussion will be the comic book gamut; from the stories themselves, to the people creating them, to the paper on which they are printed, to fandom’s reaction to the books, to the latest trends and happenings in the industry. There will also be a fair amount of pop culture in general. Think of it this way, if it’s a topic covered at a big convention, then it will probably be discussed here.

Quoted For Truth will consist of full-length columns and short blogs. The columns will tend to be more analytical and less “flavor of the day” dependent, while the blogs will mostly be futile attempts to show that my opinions are relevant to current events by reacting to recent headlines and flame wars. For example, if this blog had been running a few weeks ago, you would have been able to watch me overreact to the overreaction of message board posters to the rumor about Batman becoming a New God.

With that said, I expect this blog to behave, to use one of today’s favorite buzzwords, rather organically. I’d like there to be a full length column each week, but I’m not going to commit to posting it on the same day. I find schedules to be much too limiting to the creative process. And yes, this is just a pre-emptive excuse for when I procrastinate and don’t post anything for a month.

By now, I’m sure you’re muttering to yourself, “oh great… yet another blogger living in his parents’ basement with too much time on his hands who thinks the whole world is interested in his opinion.” Well, let me assure you I most certainly do not live in my parents’ basement. I enjoy my buffer zone of several hundred miles. Nor do I have too much time on my hands. In fact, I’ll be amazed if I have the time to update this blog on any semblance of a regular basis.

As for the whole world being interested in my opinion? Well, just look at these stellar credentials: I’m a long time comic book reader; I’m fair, balanced, and analytical, and not in a Fox News kind of way; I own a comic book store; and I was a columnist for a pro-wrestling fansite back in the day. Who else has such a combination of qualifications going for him? Besides, who among us doesn’t want yet another entertaining blog to read instead of working or doing homework? But just to prove I’m not all talk, let’s explore a couple of these credentials in more detail.

As I said, I’m a long time comic book reader. I picked up my first book at the pinnacle of the true golden age of comics; the early 1990s. Yes, foil covers, embossed covers, die-cut covers, prism covers, and hologram covers were all the rage (I think the die-cut, embossed combo was my favorite). Superman had died and returned, Knightfall had just begun, Bruce Timm and Paul Dini were revolutionizing animation, and Image was unknowningly trailblazing the dot-com business model. Truly, it was an era of richness and prosperity.

With only two or three years out of the loop, I’ve been a faithful reader and collector of both Detective Comics and Batman. Other titles have come and gone, but those two have been the only constants. I started at the newsstand, moved to DC’s subscription service, then to a local comic book store, and finally to owning my own store (more on this silly endeavor in a later column). Incidentally, my current pull list will always be posted in the right-side bar of this page

In the late 1990s, my “career” as an internet columnist began when I started writing Flat to the Mat on a professional wrestling fansite. This was during the height of the Monday Night War between Raw and Nitro, when many fans were turning into “smarts,” learning about the off-camera world of professional wrestling. It was very similar to today as the internet gives fans more and more access to the business side of the comic book industry.

Unlike the common testosterone fueled rants found in other columns, I filled the lighthearted comedy niche. The was a lot of complaining about currently storylines, people jobbing, and WCW only pushing the old wrestlers. But Flat to the Mat was goofy and sarcastic, yet analytical, and that’s what I’m hoping Quoted For Truth will become.

Further, I just enjoy writing. Yet, I have no aspirations of writing comic books. In fact, I downright suck at writing fiction of any kind. I have so much respect and admiration for folks who can write entertaining fiction. Unfortunately, my mechanical engineering brain just isn’t wired that way. But give me an opinion-piece or term paper or technical paper, and I will run with it.

Finally, wrapping up this introductory column, here is a small disclaimer. Anything I write is my own opinion, and unless I specifically cite a source, my opinions are based on nothing but my ideas, experience, and the bunk I find on message boards. I’m not here to create or spread rumors. Nor am I here to report breaking news. I’m just here to entertain. Hence the reason I named this blog Quoted For Truth. Professional writers might call it an ironic name. I just call it sarcastic.

As always, you can email me at qft.column@gmail.com.

Cody Machler

Columns that are currently in work:

- My 2007 Awards show

- Heroes: More Overrated than the death of Captain America

- DC vs Marvel: Today’s WCW vs WWF