Monday, March 31, 2008
College Years Part 4
One of the more enjoyable aspects of my life during this time
was my friendship with a man named Scott Campbell (his first
name was actually Robert or Bob). "Uncle Scotty" as he was
affectionately known to his younger friends was perhaps
in his late twenties at that time but to us who were fresh out
of high school that seemed quite old. Scott went to Multnomah
School of the Bible in Portland, Oregon the same time as my
brother LeRoy and gained a reputation as the campus radio expert
and disc jockey. He moved to Northwest Washington (probably
around 1965) and eventually accepted a job with the religious
radio station KARI out of Blaine. Blaine is north of Bellingham
and is actually on the Canadian border and is the home of the
famous Peace Arch.
Scott was hired as a radio disc jockey for KARI on the weekday
afternoons and he played for 2-3 hours what is now know as
contemporary Christian Music. This was the era of the
Bill Gaither Trio, the Spear Family, the Oakridge Boys,
the Singing Rambos, Doug Oldham, Andre Crouch,
the Imperials and many more. I did not follow current
popular music (rock & roll, etc) so Scott's enthusiasm for
this type of music rubbed off on his younger friends. Scott
began going to the same church (Immanuel Bible Church)
I did and was recruited to teach one of the adult Sunday
School classes—for which he did an excellent job.
Scott also was instrumental in helping promote local concerts
of Gospel singers and musicians. I remember going to a number
of these concerts and becoming a fan especially of the Imperials
and the Singing Rambos among others. There were many Friday
or Saturday nights when my friend Rick Nelson (and sometimes
Merlin Strickler and others) would visit Scott is his north Whatcom
County home and talk about Gospel music, current events and,
of course, girls. Scott was a confirmed bachelor who had definite
ideas about the opposite sex and marriage. These were great times
of just kicking back and enjoying fellowship with an older man
(sort of a mentor) who was a dedicated Christian. The friendship
with Scott continued through my college years and extended into
my early years with Campus Crusade. Scott eventually left KARI
and took a position elsewhere (I believe out of state). From that
time I lost contact with Scott and many years later found out that
he had pass away while hiking of an apparent heart attack-really
much too young.
Scott was one of those people you meet along life's journey who
made an impact on others for the better including myself.
Part of me still misses Scott. A really great guy who is now
in heaven serving his Lord. (A short internet search reveals
that the Gospel Music Association has named the Scott Campbell
Music Award in honor of Uncle Scotty.)
was my friendship with a man named Scott Campbell (his first
name was actually Robert or Bob). "Uncle Scotty" as he was
affectionately known to his younger friends was perhaps
in his late twenties at that time but to us who were fresh out
of high school that seemed quite old. Scott went to Multnomah
School of the Bible in Portland, Oregon the same time as my
brother LeRoy and gained a reputation as the campus radio expert
and disc jockey. He moved to Northwest Washington (probably
around 1965) and eventually accepted a job with the religious
radio station KARI out of Blaine. Blaine is north of Bellingham
and is actually on the Canadian border and is the home of the
famous Peace Arch.
Scott was hired as a radio disc jockey for KARI on the weekday
afternoons and he played for 2-3 hours what is now know as
contemporary Christian Music. This was the era of the
Bill Gaither Trio, the Spear Family, the Oakridge Boys,
the Singing Rambos, Doug Oldham, Andre Crouch,
the Imperials and many more. I did not follow current
popular music (rock & roll, etc) so Scott's enthusiasm for
this type of music rubbed off on his younger friends. Scott
began going to the same church (Immanuel Bible Church)
I did and was recruited to teach one of the adult Sunday
School classes—for which he did an excellent job.
Scott also was instrumental in helping promote local concerts
of Gospel singers and musicians. I remember going to a number
of these concerts and becoming a fan especially of the Imperials
and the Singing Rambos among others. There were many Friday
or Saturday nights when my friend Rick Nelson (and sometimes
Merlin Strickler and others) would visit Scott is his north Whatcom
County home and talk about Gospel music, current events and,
of course, girls. Scott was a confirmed bachelor who had definite
ideas about the opposite sex and marriage. These were great times
of just kicking back and enjoying fellowship with an older man
(sort of a mentor) who was a dedicated Christian. The friendship
with Scott continued through my college years and extended into
my early years with Campus Crusade. Scott eventually left KARI
and took a position elsewhere (I believe out of state). From that
time I lost contact with Scott and many years later found out that
he had pass away while hiking of an apparent heart attack-really
much too young.
Scott was one of those people you meet along life's journey who
made an impact on others for the better including myself.
Part of me still misses Scott. A really great guy who is now
in heaven serving his Lord. (A short internet search reveals
that the Gospel Music Association has named the Scott Campbell
Music Award in honor of Uncle Scotty.)
Monday, March 24, 2008
College Years Part 3
I went to Western Washington State College (now Western Washington University).
Western at that time had several distinctions. One it was a former Education
(a prior name was Western Washington College of Education). It's primary
function had been to produce teachers. By the time I started my college
career Western was well under way of diversification so that it was not
just a "teacher's school." I entered Western with no intention of going
into education (unlike my brother Russ and sister-in-law, Nancy who
both graduated from Western in 1964 with education degrees). Even as
a young person I saw teaching as a profession through two lenses. One
at that time it was a very secure job. Teachers (if they were half way
competent) could teach for 30 or 40 or more years with little fear of
losing their job until retirement. Second, I always felt that a teacher
needed an almost religious calling to be a good instructor. Like any
other other job not every teacher hasn't that degree of commitment,
but I knew that I didn't—so why pursue something I had no passion
for. Job security while important was not my foremost consideration.
One reason I went to Western was that it was convenient. I did not
need to leave home and incur the added expense of room and board
to tuition and other college expenses. Also unlike other recent high
school graduates I wasn't then ready to leave home. I also had a part
time job as a sweeper (two hours a day) at Parkview Elementary
School (this was also the school where my brother Russ had a similar
job several years before). This job allowed me to pay for tuition,
books, school supplies and so forth. Education was so inexpensive
then as compared to the costs of a college/university education today.
It was almost like a different era-really a different time.
Western at that time had several distinctions. One it was a former Education
(a prior name was Western Washington College of Education). It's primary
function had been to produce teachers. By the time I started my college
career Western was well under way of diversification so that it was not
just a "teacher's school." I entered Western with no intention of going
into education (unlike my brother Russ and sister-in-law, Nancy who
both graduated from Western in 1964 with education degrees). Even as
a young person I saw teaching as a profession through two lenses. One
at that time it was a very secure job. Teachers (if they were half way
competent) could teach for 30 or 40 or more years with little fear of
losing their job until retirement. Second, I always felt that a teacher
needed an almost religious calling to be a good instructor. Like any
other other job not every teacher hasn't that degree of commitment,
but I knew that I didn't—so why pursue something I had no passion
for. Job security while important was not my foremost consideration.
One reason I went to Western was that it was convenient. I did not
need to leave home and incur the added expense of room and board
to tuition and other college expenses. Also unlike other recent high
school graduates I wasn't then ready to leave home. I also had a part
time job as a sweeper (two hours a day) at Parkview Elementary
School (this was also the school where my brother Russ had a similar
job several years before). This job allowed me to pay for tuition,
books, school supplies and so forth. Education was so inexpensive
then as compared to the costs of a college/university education today.
It was almost like a different era-really a different time.
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Time Flyz
TimeFlyz volumes 1 and 2, 2007, Zondervan, Ben Avery (writer) Adi Darda Guadiamo (artist), black-and-white, digest-sized manga-style book, 152 pages (volume one)/150 pages (volume two), $9.99 each.
This is a cute little series that I had trouble getting into,
maybe because the protagonist is a ten-year-old girl, and
I have very little in common with ten-year-old girls, for
some reason. The concept is intriguing, with cybernetic
time-traveling flies and a neat little mystery of a plot that
has really got me thinking. Adi Darda’s art is a great fit for
this book, and the flies each have their own look, although
similar enough to cause confusion until they all get sorted out.
The plot, however, might be difficult for the target audience
to follow, as it delves into history, physics, and time paradoxes,
among other things, but could be a fun ride for kids who don’t
take all that too seriously as well as those who can invest the
mental energy and actually figure it all out. I was also reading
the other five ZGN series1 first two issues when I was reading
this title, so the subtleties were lost.
Ben Avery (fill in your favorite Ben Avery title here
“_______________”) is in top form (is he ever NOT in top form?
This guy could write the hump of a camel!) with a complex plot,
fully realized characters, and a big-bad setup that gives a face to
the present threat but leaves the puppet-master in the shadows
at least through the second volume. Adi Darda1s artwork is fantastic,
rendering the multiple unique cyber-insects, drawing from extreme
perspectives, and populating the story with both real historical
people (Ben Franklin, Imhotep) and fictional characters, blending
the two believably. His cartoony style doesn1t get old, and his
mastery of the craft is evident.
The historical characters play major parts in the story, as someone
or something is kidnapping the great inventors throughout time,
and we get to meet them as the characters do. It would do the book
well to add a page in the back with more information about the
actual personalities and lives of these great men (and, I presume
eventually women, although the first two books feature only male
inventors), as it is vague whether the events actually happened
(with the TimeFlyz playing an incidental part) or if these are
entirely fictional events. Even something urging the deeper study
of the inventors would be a nice resource, but since we are already
two issue deep that is perhaps wishful thinking, unless Zondervan
can add more content like that to their website for these books
which would be nice.
Teamwork, a sense of belonging, personality clashes these are
issues that a 10-year old could relate to, as we all could to some
extent. Two issues into the series and we get all this and more,
but the Christian content is spotty at best. Of course, Avery is most
likely working up to something, and we do experience Jewish slave
life in their Egyptian captivity period, and one of the incidental
characters does mention taking comfort from reading Bible verses,
but the reader is given nothing overtly evangelical, which may not
be on the menu for this particular ZGN at all(or any, so far the
three based on Bible characters are all set in the Old Testament
and the three modern books each contain some Christian themes
but with very little proselytizing, at least at this point in each series).
But in the final reckoning, TimeFlyz is a fun, well-written, nicely
illustrated book with the promise of a very entertaining climax.
Review by Steve MacDonald
Monday, March 17, 2008
College Years Part 2
I graduated high school in June 1966 and entered college
the next September. Like many young students before or
since I did not have a clear idea what I wanted to do.
I had interests in paleontology and entomology and later
declared my major in Biology with a minor in Art. My first
year was spent in doing what was called general education
courses or Humanities (a sort of conglomeration of history,
philosophy, art and music appreciation courses. These courses
were a combination of lecture and small group discussions.
One distinct memory in the small groups was a discussion of
the Bible. and the book of Genesis. The group leader declared
there were two stories of the creation of man in Genesis 1 & 2.
This caused some consternation among the students. Somehow
I had shown some prior knowledge on Biblical topics in the class
and was asked for my views by the leader. I mentioned there could
be another way of looking at the passage. One that the first passage
(Genesis 1) is a general summary statement on how the creation of
man fit into the general sequence of the divine creation acts. The
second passage (Genesis 2) is not so much a separate account as it
is an amplification of the first account that emphasized the
specialness and uniqueness of man (being created in the image of God)
over and above the rest of creation. While the group leader probably
didn't believe that view he accepted it as a valid response.
Later one of the students in the class a young African American
asked me what I thought was going on in the class. I believe I
responded with something like welcome to the secular college
environment where there was an emphasis was to denigrate
personal faith and belief in the Bible as God's revelation. I was
somewhat prepared for that though other students weren't.
I suspect that the secularizing process in higher education is
much worse in the early 21st century than it was in the 1960s.
the next September. Like many young students before or
since I did not have a clear idea what I wanted to do.
I had interests in paleontology and entomology and later
declared my major in Biology with a minor in Art. My first
year was spent in doing what was called general education
courses or Humanities (a sort of conglomeration of history,
philosophy, art and music appreciation courses. These courses
were a combination of lecture and small group discussions.
One distinct memory in the small groups was a discussion of
the Bible. and the book of Genesis. The group leader declared
there were two stories of the creation of man in Genesis 1 & 2.
This caused some consternation among the students. Somehow
I had shown some prior knowledge on Biblical topics in the class
and was asked for my views by the leader. I mentioned there could
be another way of looking at the passage. One that the first passage
(Genesis 1) is a general summary statement on how the creation of
man fit into the general sequence of the divine creation acts. The
second passage (Genesis 2) is not so much a separate account as it
is an amplification of the first account that emphasized the
specialness and uniqueness of man (being created in the image of God)
over and above the rest of creation. While the group leader probably
didn't believe that view he accepted it as a valid response.
Later one of the students in the class a young African American
asked me what I thought was going on in the class. I believe I
responded with something like welcome to the secular college
environment where there was an emphasis was to denigrate
personal faith and belief in the Bible as God's revelation. I was
somewhat prepared for that though other students weren't.
I suspect that the secularizing process in higher education is
much worse in the early 21st century than it was in the 1960s.
Monday, March 10, 2008
College Days Part 1
During my senior year in high school I decided to take an art school test. The was for the Famous Artist School correspondence course whose headquarters was located in Connecticut. Ads for this course were found on the back covers of numerous popular magazines and comics books during that era. I sent the completed test back to the company and sometime later a sales representative arrived at my home (I was away at the time of his visit) and spoke to my parents about enrolling me in the course as my test apparently showed I had some artist aptitude. At the time I had been taking high school art classes and drawing my own comic strips. I never actually met the gentleman.
It proved to be one of those bitter-sweet experiences of growing up. On the one hand the school thought I had enough talent to make the course useful to myself (I didn't think they were just interested in selling courses to anyone regardless of their potential abilities or lack thereof) and yet my parents decided not the invest the money in the course. Their reasoning was never quite clear (perhaps they thought that I wasn't ready for the sort of self discipline it would take to complete the course or perhaps they thought going to an actual school would be a better learning environment for me.)
I have wondered if my life had have taken a different direction if I had taken that course. It is possible that I would have learned more usable basic art skills faster if I'd taken the course than the college route that I eventually took. (An interesting post script to this is that when I jointed Campus Crusade for Christ in the 1970s one of the other staff artists had one of the Famous Artist course manual/binders and he deposited it in the studio library and I got to study it at that time. It appeared to be a very solid basic study course).
I remember also some investigation into other commercial art schools but my family income was not great enough to warrant sending one of their children to art school. Art training was not considered a viable career option. Even saying that an actual commercial art education I believe would have been a better option than what later I received.
It proved to be one of those bitter-sweet experiences of growing up. On the one hand the school thought I had enough talent to make the course useful to myself (I didn't think they were just interested in selling courses to anyone regardless of their potential abilities or lack thereof) and yet my parents decided not the invest the money in the course. Their reasoning was never quite clear (perhaps they thought that I wasn't ready for the sort of self discipline it would take to complete the course or perhaps they thought going to an actual school would be a better learning environment for me.)
I have wondered if my life had have taken a different direction if I had taken that course. It is possible that I would have learned more usable basic art skills faster if I'd taken the course than the college route that I eventually took. (An interesting post script to this is that when I jointed Campus Crusade for Christ in the 1970s one of the other staff artists had one of the Famous Artist course manual/binders and he deposited it in the studio library and I got to study it at that time. It appeared to be a very solid basic study course).
I remember also some investigation into other commercial art schools but my family income was not great enough to warrant sending one of their children to art school. Art training was not considered a viable career option. Even saying that an actual commercial art education I believe would have been a better option than what later I received.
Tuesday, March 04, 2008
Holy Scrolls: The Origin of the Dead Sea Scrolls,
Holy Scrolls: The Origin of the Dead Sea Scrolls, (November 2007),
Lamp Post, Inc, Brett Burner (writer), Diego Candia (artist), B & W, 35 pp.
(free download from wowio.com)
Let me tell you a secret. Educational comics don't have to be boring.
The story of the Holy Scrolls starts off with a young boy peering through
a museum display case exclaiming, "This is so completely lame! I can't
believe I'm stuck here looking at scraps of old paper!"
He is then confronted by a friendly old man who proceeds to tell
him about those "lame" —" scraps of old paper. The elder gentleman
weaves a spell binding tale that begins with the conquests of
Alexander the Great, the desecration of the Jerusalem Temple by
Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the rise of the Maccabees and their successful
revolt against foreign rulers. He goes on to describe the Essene sect
who established the community of Qumran near the northwestern
shore of the Dead Sea. The Essenes were diligent scribes who kept
and copies of numerous scrolls of the Torah (the Hebrew Bible) and
other important writings. These paper and leather scrolls were later
placed and sealed in clay jars. When the Roman General Titus and
his armies conquered Jerusalem in 70 AD crushing the Jewish revolt,
the Essenes hid these clay jars with they precious contents in obscure
caves near Qumran. There they remained until 1947 when a bedouin
boy threw a stone in one of the caves and heard a smashing sound.
He later investigated and found the ancient jars. The story then plays
out like a modern spy novel with mystery and intrigue as the scrolls
finally come to the attention of the international scholarly community.
This story is filled with great action scenes, drama, danger and
excitement. This is not a dull talking heads comic book lecture but
an dynamic true story that makes dusty history come alive. The
mysterious old man suddenly vanishes leaving the stunned boy
and the reader wondering who he actually was. As the young boy
proclaims at the end while again looking into the glass display case
to his parent's pleasant surprise, "...this is so cool."
Brett Burner with the help of Biblical scholars Dr David Noel Friedman
and Dr. Pam Fox Kuhlken has turned in a script that should be used in
coming years as a primer showing how to do educational comic books
right. Artist Diego Candia does a very professional job using varied panel
layouts, dramatic drawing and historical research to make this a convincing
story visually. This comic is a great page turning read for any age but
especially for young people who think Biblical history is "lame."
www.wowio.com
Lamp Post, Inc, Brett Burner (writer), Diego Candia (artist), B & W, 35 pp.
(free download from wowio.com)
Let me tell you a secret. Educational comics don't have to be boring.
The story of the Holy Scrolls starts off with a young boy peering through
a museum display case exclaiming, "This is so completely lame! I can't
believe I'm stuck here looking at scraps of old paper!"
He is then confronted by a friendly old man who proceeds to tell
him about those "lame" —" scraps of old paper. The elder gentleman
weaves a spell binding tale that begins with the conquests of
Alexander the Great, the desecration of the Jerusalem Temple by
Antiochus IV Epiphanes, the rise of the Maccabees and their successful
revolt against foreign rulers. He goes on to describe the Essene sect
who established the community of Qumran near the northwestern
shore of the Dead Sea. The Essenes were diligent scribes who kept
and copies of numerous scrolls of the Torah (the Hebrew Bible) and
other important writings. These paper and leather scrolls were later
placed and sealed in clay jars. When the Roman General Titus and
his armies conquered Jerusalem in 70 AD crushing the Jewish revolt,
the Essenes hid these clay jars with they precious contents in obscure
caves near Qumran. There they remained until 1947 when a bedouin
boy threw a stone in one of the caves and heard a smashing sound.
He later investigated and found the ancient jars. The story then plays
out like a modern spy novel with mystery and intrigue as the scrolls
finally come to the attention of the international scholarly community.
This story is filled with great action scenes, drama, danger and
excitement. This is not a dull talking heads comic book lecture but
an dynamic true story that makes dusty history come alive. The
mysterious old man suddenly vanishes leaving the stunned boy
and the reader wondering who he actually was. As the young boy
proclaims at the end while again looking into the glass display case
to his parent's pleasant surprise, "...this is so cool."
Brett Burner with the help of Biblical scholars Dr David Noel Friedman
and Dr. Pam Fox Kuhlken has turned in a script that should be used in
coming years as a primer showing how to do educational comic books
right. Artist Diego Candia does a very professional job using varied panel
layouts, dramatic drawing and historical research to make this a convincing
story visually. This comic is a great page turning read for any age but
especially for young people who think Biblical history is "lame."
www.wowio.com
Monday, March 03, 2008
2008 Phoenix Cactus Comicon Part 2
Left: Mike Kunkel, Right: Tim Russ &
Walter Koenig
January 27, 2008
(From Don Ensign's Journal)
Next morning we checked out of the hotel around 8:30 AM. We went
to a Family Restaurant and had a good breakfast. We then returned to
the Convention Center and went to the dealer’s room and spoke with
several people. One was Mike Kunkel (Herobear) and gave him a copy
of the CCAS Business card. Also was able to speak with Mike Bullock
at the next table (writer of Phantom) and gave him a CCAS business
card and a copy of the 2007 Guide. Then James and I and talked with
Noel Neill and I purchased her new book, Beyond Lois Lane and James
took my photo with her. I told her that her “Thank you for being part
of my childhood.” She responded very well to that. She is a very sweet lady.
Then we want over to the Rude/Dude booth and spoke to Mrs Rube.
She mentioned that the new Moth mini-series will start on Free Comic
Book Day in May. We then went to the theatre and watched several
trailers for some of upcoming films. While there Walter Koenig came
in and began talking about his Inalienable film. We left that session
and went to a comic artist panel with Ed McGuinness. During the
question and answer period I asked him questions about his work
habits and so forth. He mentioned that he tried to maintain balance
in his life—not work on Sunday and going to church with his family.
McGuinness is currently working on the Hulk. I took the opportunity
to speak with him afterwards and gave him the CCAS Business Card
and told him a little about CCAS. He was appreciative of knowing
about CCAS.
Left photo: Mike BullockAfter the Ed McGuinness panel James and I took as short lunch
break at a nearby Circle K. Then we returned to the Convention
Center and went the Michael Golden panel. This was mostly a
Q & A where he talked about some of his background before
his got into comics and how he broke into the industry. He
confessed that he was never really a comics fan like many who
have come into the industry over the years. He provided good
answers and told some interesting stories about his life in comics.
Early in his career while in the DC offices Joe Kubert demonstrated
how he could draw by first putting down a small circle and a squiggly
line and then proceeded to draw a fantastic sketch of Adam Strange.
Golden was so blown away by that thinking he could never do that.
However, thirty years later with constant practice he was able to do
the same thing. Golden started doing car painting in the early 1970s
(hippie van art) and friends urged him to try comics and on his first
trip to New York got work from both Marvel and DC. (He mentioned
that this very unusual).
Left photo: Michael GoldenAfter the Golden panel James and I took in a workshop about some computer software for making web comics. The presenter also ismaking available free space on his server for people wanting to show their web comics on the internet. This company, Dreamco aTucson-based company and the presenter was Greg Loumeau. The software contained some good features for making very simple webcomics.
After that we returned to the theatre and a raffle was
going on with everyone in the audience winning something—James
and I won much needed hats as it was a rainy Sunday. We made
one last trip to the dealers room. Then we decided to leave around
4:30 PM and got back to Tucson around 7:00 PM. We had a late
dinner and I took James back to his home and then returned to
Green Valley. Overall a good, fun weekend of Con events.
