tv review

So, did anybody happen to catch that Numbers episode about comic books? I was chilling out, full of as much Chuck Palahniuk as I could read that night and snapped on the tube. It was either that new Fox Lawyer show, or some damn 48 Hours Mystery (Here's a mystery with no solution! Yay!) on NBC and then Numbers. I generally find it to be a silly show with requiring great leaps of disbelief to watch; but it's nice to see Judd Hirsch acting again.

In this episode, at a comic convention, an impossibly rare comic book has been stolen in an armed robbery and the FBI and Mr. Numbers (whatever his damned name is) is called in. Hilarity ensues. It was another example of people outside the comic book world looking in pretending they are giving us a glimpse into the world of comics.

BAD:

--at the convention there was an odd mix of nerds. Ubernerds (outnumbering us normal guys in jeans and t-shirts) mingled with furries, anime cosplay folks, Trekkers and one guy dressed in full samurai armor. Now, I haven't been to any of the REALLY big conventions, but it really seems odd to have such a big mix. It's like the producer said: A nerd's a nerd, cram 'em in.

--One of a kind comic book is stolen. Within a day, it has been forged, printed on vintage paper and multiple copies are now on eBay. How long do the producers think it takes to make a comic book? Even Alan Davis admits to only 1-2 pages a day. And to copy an entire book line for line AND print it would take a bit more than a day.

--Mr. Numbers catches the forger because he would have to move the pen slower to trace/copy than the original artist would to create; this makes the ink run differntly. He scans and analyzes the pen strokes against a baseline of the original artists' work. Okay. Sure. But, why would the forger not simply get a high-end scanner and copy the damned thing. With today's technolgy it'd be easier and much more accurate to create plates using a scan than to hand-draw the whole damed thing and offset print it in a day(which is impossible anyway).


GOOD:

-- Mr. Number's hobbit-y sidekick is a Galactus fan and correctly points out how Galactus is the 'Third Force' after Eternity and Death. I am such a nerd |(

-- Big Bald Black agent is a comic fan. That was nice.

-- Good to see Wil Wheaton working again, even for this nearly-terrible show.

-- Also good to see Christopher Lloyd acting again. The ending had Lloyd's character and Hirsch's character were together for the ususal end-of-show wrapup. It felt contrived, but I bet that Lloyd and Hirsch just wanted a chance to work together again


FUNNY THINGS:

-- Christopher Lloyd played the big name, old school artist whose name was 'Ross Moore'. Hmmmm. Gee. Do you think that's a portmanteau name or anything?

-- Mr. Number's hobbit-y sidekick walking around the convention with a bunch of swag. One of the items was a Fone Bone plush. One of the very few nods to real comic culture.

Listening to while posting: BIRDS! Outside my OPEN WINDOW! Yee! Going outside now!