The Random Crap Thread 2: It Hits the Fan.

bhamv3

bhamv3

Salt and vinegar chips are generally hard to find in Taiwan. The only place I've found them is in the "imported" or "exotic" section in supermarkets. The vast majority of Taiwanese people don't like salt and vinegar chips, in fact my wife hates them.

But I love them, so I'll buy them at their elevated import prices, and I'll devour them like there's no tomorrow.
 
Frank

Frank

bhamv3 said:
Salt and vinegar chips are generally hard to find in Taiwan. The only place I've found them is in the "imported" or "exotic" section in supermarkets. The vast majority of Taiwanese people don't like salt and vinegar chips, in fact my wife hates them.

But I love them, so I'll buy them at their elevated import prices, and I'll devour them like there's no tomorrow.
Click to expand...
It's neat how different countries have different favourites.

Canada has a hard-on for All-Dressed, Dill Pickle and Ketchup.
 
bhamv3

bhamv3

It recently occurred to me that we will never see Monty Oum animate a fight scene to One Winged Angel, and that made me sad.
 
ThatNickGuy

ThatNickGuy

ThatNickGuy said:
Not too long ago, I learned that Dad was diagnosed with cancer. They found it from a routine x-ray when he was complaining about back problems. He's only getting one dose of radiation to help mitigate it, but otherwise, he's not doing any more treatment for it. He's 89 years ago and he decided he doesn't want to go through with the treatments.

It's been hard, of course. I don't think it's still fully processed for me. One of my sisters said she'd like to see Dad make it to this Christmas. Until she said that, I didn't realize it could potentially hit him that hard or that fast.

A few weeks ago, during the finales of the Nova Scotia Open, they did a short interview and celebration for dad and his achievements. He won literally HUNDREDS of tournaments in singles, doubles, and mixed doubles. His nickname was apparently The King of Clay. My family is basically synonymous with tennis in the Maritimes.

I went down with my girlfriend for that celebration. While there, I heard countless stories about my dad from anyone I talked to. And that's when I learned of "The Six."

Apparently, back around the 60s or 70s, there were six tennis players who dominated the Atlantic Canada tennis scene. My dad, his brother, and four other people. They even all had codenames. Dad was "Gramps." There was "Lids," "Flea," "Chucker," and "Rang" (short for orangutan because they apparently had long arms). They toured together, slept in tennis clubhouses, and played the hell out of tennis.

Since learning about The Six, I haven't been able to stop thinking about them. I thought "Man, this would make for a great book." I thought about it more today while on a long bike ride and I realized "Man, this would make for a great GRAPHIC NOVEL." I realized "the six" could be a little meta and I could do exclusively six-panel pages. I also realized "Huh, it'd be a bit odd, but a tennis court design ALMOST works as a comic panel layout." I just googled that link and blew my own mind realizing a tennis court design, if looking at it as a panel layout...makes six panels. THIS WAS MEANT TO BE.

Now I can't get the idea out of my head. It could be like a biography or documentary in comic form (similar to Box Brown's work, like his Andre the Giant biography). I don't know much about the other five, but I'm sure they have enough stories to fill a book. I don't know if it'd be self-aggrandizing, but I picture myself to bookend the whole thing: doing a one or two page introduction, a tiny bit about myself and why I'm doing it, and then again for the conclusion. I'm picturing the first page with me talking to the camera, with the last panel saying "And then I learned about..." and boom. You turn the page to a two-page spread of THE SIX.

I thought it'd be funny for a panel somewhere that I mention that I became a nerd instead of a tennis player. And then show a one-panel flashback of a young Nick, nearly in tears, getting yelled at by my dad off-panel "Get your racket back. GET YOUR RACKET BACK!" I already picture the word balloon with sharp edges like you'd see in a comic of someone yelling.

I'd have to get all the right permissions and everything, of course. My sister knew a lot of these people and I think even played with them. I know she played and won some mixed doubles with Dad. But she would have some great personal insights on these people. Fortunately, most of them are still alive, except one. "Chucker" passed away to cancer a few years ago. But even more fortunately, they all live in Halifax.

I talked to Dad about this tonight. He gave his blessing. He's also willing to help me get in touch with the remaining Six. He believes they'd all give their blessing. My sister and I have made plans to talk about it tomorrow night.

I'll...need to find an artist. I know a couple of artists, like @Zappit or perhaps Sam Owen or Darren Vogt whose cartoonist style might be right in line with what I'm picturing. On the other hand, this feels like a project where I need local talent. An artist in Atlantic Canada, to give it that personal Atlantic Canadian touch. I'm not sure.

As you can see from everything I already wrote, I'm really feeling energized about this idea. I haven't felt this energized for a creative project in a long time.
Click to expand...

This project is probably dead in the water.

I tried interviewing Dad earlier today, one of the subjects for this idea. I had no idea what to ask, I couldn't keep him on the topic, and he gave more facts than anecdotes.

I've learned I'm a lousy interviewer. For this project, I'd have to interview at least half a dozen others.

I can't do it.
 
drifter

drifter

Are they all friends? Could you get them all together and give'em a little prompt? Might be easier to get them reminiscing about the old days that way.
 
Sparhawk

Sparhawk

ThatNickGuy said:
This project is probably dead in the water.

I tried interviewing Dad earlier today, one of the subjects for this idea. I had no idea what to ask, I couldn't keep him on the topic, and he gave more facts than anecdotes.

I've learned I'm a lousy interviewer. For this project, I'd have to interview at least half a dozen others.

I can't do it.
Click to expand...
Yes, you can do it. You just picked the hardest one to interview first. We all have different relationships with our parents than with others of their generation. Try talking to the others first, hear their stories, get more info of specific stories to ask your dad about. You will probably get more stories from them (by what you have said about your dad before, he seems to have always been more focused on tangible things and facts) than you will from him. You could even take the approach of the friends telling the tales, and him interjecting with the facts. My personal experience with trying to get stories from my parents worked better with this type approach, asked aunts and uncles and friends for the story/tall tale and got more of a fact/opinion from my parents. I’m just trying to give you some ideas since this sounds like a really neat project that is personal for you.
 
blotsfan

blotsfan

I’ve been dieting the last few months in the wake of my last doctor visit (basically “you can turn it around now but next year might be too late”) and I’ve been doing well. I’ve lost about 25 pounds. But a few days ago I went to a Halloween party and there was a shitton of pizza and garlic bread and dips and I just pigged out. Between the massive amount of food and my stomach being smaller I got super nauseous. I went to the bathroom to throw up and I thought “well I guess this could be good. It’ll be like I didn’t actually eat all that.”

I then realized I was just reinventing bulimia.
 
drawn_inward

drawn_inward

ThatNickGuy said:
This project is probably dead in the water.

I tried interviewing Dad earlier today, one of the subjects for this idea. I had no idea what to ask, I couldn't keep him on the topic, and he gave more facts than anecdotes.

I've learned I'm a lousy interviewer. For this project, I'd have to interview at least half a dozen others.

.

I can't do it.
Click to expand...
Maybe have one of them interview the others? Just like writing, interviewing well is a skill.
I had similar issues trying to interview my dad about his life for a video for my kids. It didn't go well either.
Don't give up. Try another route. You might be too close to the subject.
 
Cog

Cog

Today in Ecuador it is "day of the deceased". We don't make any party or parades, but we get the day off. Traditionally people visit cemeteries. I never visit my family that is not longer here, no because I dislike it but because I don't see the point. I think that the remains of someone is just that. But my aunt still send me pictures of my dad resting place. I still miss my dad. IMG-20231102-WA0012.jpg
 
Ravenpoe

Ravenpoe

Cog said:
Today in Ecuador it is "day of the deceased". We don't make any party or parades, but we get the day off. Traditionally people visit cemeteries. I never visit my family that is not longer here, no because I dislike it but because I don't see the point. I think that the remains of someone is just that. But my aunt still send me pictures of my dad resting place. I still miss my dad. View attachment 46428
Click to expand...
I think you just figured out the point. It isn't for the dead, it's for those still living. I'm not religious and don't believe in a soul or an afterlife or anything like that, but I do recognize the benefit of ritual. Doing something to remember loved ones since gone can be beneficial.
 
drawn_inward

drawn_inward

I didn't know much about day of the dead until Coco. I really appreciate it and think it has a lovely message. I like the idea of dedicating a time to talk about those that have passed on and/or carrying on a tradition that they played a pivotal role in. Seems like a healthy way to grieve.
 
PatrThom

PatrThom

drawn_inward said:
a healthy way to grieve.
Click to expand...
Yes. Your thoughts toward a departed loved one should be boosted by the memories of the time(s) you spent together instead of dwelling excessively/exclusively on the pain of the loss. They’re already dead, and killing them over and over again in your mind does not really strike me as a way to “honor” them.

…unless you murdered them, I suppose. In which case fuck you unless euthanasia.

—Patrick
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top