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diBsday, January 26, 2000
Comic Book Wednesday
BY JUAN LOYA
The Battalion
A weekly fix. A scheduled habit. An idiosyncratic rou
tine. For some people it is catching a favorite television
show ora favorite music program. For others it is a more
regimented experience.
Comic book fans universally regard Wednesdays as
“Comic Book Day,” or the release day for new comic
books. More than a simple majority make the weekly
trip to the comic book Store to catch the next install
ment of the ongoing stories comic books detail.
Josefina Morales, owner of Lytle's Comics and
Games, said that of the 170 subscribers she has, 80
percent of them come in on Wednesday.
“There’s a group that comes in every Wednesday, no
matter what,” Morales said.
Though business will spread out throughout the week,
Wednesday is no doubt the busiest day of the w eek for
both comic book retailers and comic book purchasers.
Ira Babb, a comic book fan and senior agricultural busi
ness major, has been reading comicbooks for 11 years and
owns over 5,000.
“1 anticipate reading my new comics a lot," Babb said.
“1 want to find out what happened since the last is
sue. 1 suppose ifs a lot like soap operas, except it's not
on TV, and it’s stulTthat could most likely never happen
in real life.”
Indeed, while soap operas may offer the occasional de
monic possesion or resurrection from the dead, comic
books entrance readers w ith such concepts as the “Anti-
Matter Universe of Qward” or Dr. Reed Richard’s patent
ed “unstable molecules" formula.
It israre that characters on “Days of Our Lives" will even
mention genetic mutations, much less the problems facing
human and mutant relations in the new millennium.
Christopher Vanderkaay, a comic book fan and the
video department manager at 1 Listings in Bry an, said
that even though there are comic books in his store,
he still prefers to go every' Wednesday to buy the
new releases.
‘it’s like with video rentals,” VanderKaay
said. "Tuesday is the day we get the new
video releases, and there’s like a cult of
people who come to make sure they get
the first copies of whatever we get in.
Anything. Even if they’re bad
movies.”
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’ Comic book fans often display the same amount
ofdedication to their favorite pursuit.
4“1 used to read all the comics that had heroes/hero
ines/teams that I liked in them regardless of what the
writing or art was like,” Babb said. ”1 have about a
100 issue run of The Spectacular Spider-Man that
was drawn by an artist that I couldn’t stand.”
[“Sometimes 1 go back and read stuff that 1
haven't read in years and 1 think to myself, ‘This
story is horrible, what possessed me to buy five
copies of it?’”
“Sometimes I go back ami
react stuff that I haven't
read in years and J think
to myself, 'This story is
horrible, what possessed
me to buy five copies of it?’”
— Ira Babb
Comic book collector
Morales said she prefers customers who en
joy the content of the comics and not those who just buy
them for their potential value.
“A lot of them are collectors,” Morales said. “Some of
them won’t even let me touch them to look at the price.
It’s like, who do they think put them up on the shelf?”
Morales said there are less of such customers these
days, and more comic book readers in general.
And as to the increase in buyers, the reason for growth
may lie in the quality of the comics themselves.
“Well, Starman is really cool and there’s a whole lot of
genuine mystery in the current storyline. Every issue
leaves ymii wanting more,” Babb said.
“I really like what Kurt Busiek is doing in Thunder
bolts right now, there are a lot of conspiracies and plots
within plots.”
Comic books have attracted writers from all other
venues of entertainment, from television to literature to
the movies in recent years.
‘Greg Rucka. a famed mystery novelist, is currently
writing Detective Comics for DC Comics, and J .Michael
Strac/ynski, creator of the television series “Babylon
5,” is currently enjoying success w ith bis comic book
line. Rising Stars.
Veteran comic book writers have also been getting
more mainstream acclaim.
Writers Alan Moore and Warren’ Ellis both were list
ed in Entertainment Weekly’s I c >99 JT LIST of the 100
most creative people in entertainment.
Though the number of readers may be on the up
swing, such resurgence in the industry is common and
sometimes fleeting.
“It seems like there were a lot more [readers] when
1 started reading but it’s sort of fluctuated since then,”
Babb said.
”lt seems that whenever you meet someone who’s
really into comics they’re people who might have been
collectors when they were younger and have gotten
back into it a little.”, M
VanderKaay anticipates the release of this summer’s
X-Men movie and the rumors of a Spider-Man film fi
nally hitting the screens to he a promising attraction to
potential readers.
“Sam Raimi (director of Evil Dead and A Simple
Plan) is set to direct the new Spider-Man film, and he’s
one of my favorite directors, so yeah, I’m really look
ing forward to that,” VanderKaay said.
As for longtime readers, few expect to cease their
weekly Wednesday pilgrimages anytime soon.
“I suppose if the international congress of women
mandated that all men who read comics arc hereby off-
limits to all women, if they haven’t already, I’d stop read
ing comics,” Babb said. “Or maybe if they caused cancer
or something.”
Graphics by Gabriel Ruenes and
Ruben DeLuna
FAITH HIL.L
Faith Hill
Breathe
Warner Bros.
Faith Hill’s fourth album, Breathe,
road Programs: 1
jrmational meefri
all West at 1:-
jdy abroad oppo-
•pical island of
i and undergrade . „ ,. ,. , ,
n earn TAMU cre:' re P , ’ rtedl - v an autobiographical selec-
for ‘d'music. If the music is truly re
sets Hill’s life, then no guy out there
Jiould be holding his breath waiting
t H i 11 to divorce her husband, singer
/ ^ fV| irn McGraw, anytime soon.
^1 Following up on the crossover
. ‘iccess of her hit “This Kiss,” Faith
"ings a infuses more pop into her
test effort, which is packed with ro
am ic love songs.
The infectious “The Way You
ove Me” will bring back memories
fearly ’90s pop, while the sweet “I
ot My Baby” has a style all its own.
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Photo Editor
.to Editor
ck. Graphics Editor
Graphics Editor
sight News Editor
off. Radio Producer
on. Web Editor
Science & Technolog)
In the midst of all these songs, one
finds a welcome treat in the fun and
bluesy, “Bringing out the Elvis.”
Keeping with tradition, there is
also a duet with McGraw, called
“Let’s Make Love,” which will make
listeners wonder if maybe Tim isn’t
taking care of business like he should.
As one of the few country stars
who still to includes a religious or
gospel song on every album, she deliv
ers what is possibly the best song on
the album, “There Will Come a Day.”
Fueled by the success o f the first
single and title track of the album.
Faith’s new album showcases her in
creasingly strong voice. But from the
obvious fun she has had singing some
of the rowdier songs on past CDs and
how much fun it is to listen to them,
one can’t help but wish she would let
her hair down more often. (Grade: C+)
— Matt McCormick
Various Artists
Any Given Sunday: Music
from the Motion Picture
Courtesy of
Warner Sunset Records
Most film soundtracks today take
second-rate songs from better known
bands and put them together on an al
bum, hoping to sell the album off of
name recognition. This is exactly what
this album is.
Although the film Any Given Sun
day featured mostly techno tracks from
bands like Fatboy Slim and Moby, not
a single techno track is on the album.
Hole, LL Cool J, Missy Elliot, Kid
Rock, DMX and Godsmack. A list of
musicians like this might seem to say
some talent could be found on this al
bum. Wrong. All the songs sound like
B-sides from the bands.
The songs from the featured artists
are poorly written and seem to be done
quickly in an effort to get the album out
to idiots around the nation who will
pick it up and say, “Ooh! Kid Rock and
LLCoolJ! I’ve got to get this!”
So be warned. This album is one to
pass over. (Grade: C-)
— Kyle Whitacre
FENIXtx
FENIXtx
CD courtesy of
Drive-Thru Records
The band FENIXtx originally began
its life as the I louston band Riverfenix.
In addition to adopting a new moniker,
the band has also tied Texas for San
Diego, Calif.
It is a pity too.
The album, with its fast guitars and
even faster drums, gives listeners a hint
of how energetic FENIXtx’s live per
formances could be.
The band’s sound, which the
record label compares to blink-182’s,
is similar to blink’s in the fact that the
fast-paced, joyful sound and har
monies hide the lyrics’ messages of
anger and loss. However, the similari
ties seem to end there.
FENIXtx’s sound is much edgier
than blink’s — more than likely a re
sult of the fact that the album was
produced and mixed by Jerry Finn,
who has produced albums for blink-
182 and Green Day, and Ryan Greene
who has produced albums for NOFX
and Lagwagon.
Greene’s influence can clearly be
heard in the NOFX-esque guitar scales
and background vocals in “Apple Pie
Cowboy Toothpaste.”
Unfortunately for fans of FENIXtx,
the album is a reminder that they will
have to wait until FENIXtx returns to
Texas for a live performance. Until that
time this album will have to suffice.
(Grade: A)
— Veronica Serrano
ges, Bradley Atchison, Kin#'
lie Turner, Patric Schneider
Smith. Elizabeth O' Farrell.^
lillanueva & Susan Reddinf
Ruenes, Eric Andraos, Jeff®'
on. Richard Horne, David Sp^
, Kevin Turner, Sean Gillespie
tant: Cristina Padron: Beth^
rrie Bennett, Brooke Corse.I 6 '
uff, Carrie Jacobs. Melissa W'
s Siegel & Audrey Bohlmane
Noni Sridhara; Whitney $1^
n Locker, Chris Carter,
ley,
■Ogy • Judy White, Scott Je*'
vski.
BMC WEST
BUILDING MATERIALS
SOUTHCENTRAL DIVISION
Partners in Building Texas
Attn. Business & Construction Science Majors
BMC West is the leading supplier of millwork and building materials for productions
and custom home builders in the western half of the U.S. Over the past 10 years we
tlin Division ol StudentMediz'v . . r , . , , . . .
iii .in. sar. nn Far 8<I5 ; ' lave grown in size from 20 locations and 145 million in sales to 60 locations with
! 1 billion in sales.
talion. For campus, local, and
i 015 Reed McDonakLandoU*'
On Feb. 2 & 3" 1 representatives will be on campus at the Construction Science Career
i single copy of The Battaiio" p a j r Stop by out booth and learn about the excellent opportunities that are available
mester and $17.50 for the snir® , ' ' . . . . rr
tnbur growing corporation. 1 here are various positions available. We are currently
mil spunr. semesters andseeking Administrative Managers, CAD Designers and Outside Sales Associates for
l A&M University. Periodicals “"s . ^ _ . . .
Ml McDonald Building,Texas*' 1 various locations in Texas. Hope to see you there!
Pregnant? Need Help?
Aggieland Pregnancy Outreach, Inc.
Has a staff of volunteers who want to help you
$ Counseling services
*s> Weekly support group
$ Arrangements for medical care
*p Assistance in making future
plans (schtxrl, job, relocation, etc.)
Referral to a Christian Agency
to facilitate an open-type
adoption, if desired
ip Maternity clothing
*p Opportunity to find
wholeness in a secure and
confidential environment
409-764-6636
Kim Schams - director
kschams@tca.net
Aggie Owned & Operated
Call For Your
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(409) 260-SOAR
y* Preiss Aviation
"Making Your Dreams Fly”
Air craft Ffenfcal
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Efesbsrwood Airport - 1680 George Eush Dr. Wat
suite 12 - OdLlege Station, IX 77845