Xander's 1st Birthday

My son is one year old. Wow. It feel odd to think, let alone live it. Meg and I reminisced about the events of a year ago and how crazy the entire night seemed at the time. Meg says she doesn't even remember the pain, which is good for her, but I remember every second of it. We had a poor cab driver who took a wrong turn along the way which didn't ease his nerves of having a pregnant foreigner in his cab yelling at him to go faster. Xander showed up at 3:38AM. After a long 24 hours of contractions, pain, and anticipation, we had our little boy in our arms.

The last year has been a blur. While I have catalogued all the best and worst moments in my mind, it still feels like no time has passed. Now, Alexander is an enthusiastic, happy, curious little boy who loves to explore and loves to read his books. He sleeps well and eats well and I don't know if we could have even asked for more. His Grandparents and I took him to the Shanghai aquarium today and he loved every second. It was a joy to watch his eyes dart from fish to fish, discovering a whole world he'd only seen on a page in a book. He even correctly identified a ray as it swam overhead in a glass tunnel. I am a proud papa.

Wow, it has been a long time...

I started posting a running blog for the original Battlestar Galactica at Aspiration Figures, but I just haven't been able to summon the energy to post anything in some time. Being Mr. Mom full time is as rewarding/tiring as you can imagine. I really wouldn't trade it for the world. I am enjoying the calm before the teething storm. Xander has been nothing but fantastic and is sleeping like a champ and taking very well to solid foods. We are starting to get a nice sense of routine that should allow me some time to concentrate on personal projects.

I just ran an 8K race out in a neighborhood of Shanghai called Jinqiao (Gene-chee-ow). I was fairly pleased with my performance given I can easily count the number of times I have run in Shanghai, and considering I haven't run outside since we left the U.S. Granted it wasn't the greatest distance, but it felt good and that is all that counts. The other upside of getting Xan on a schedule is a return to regular exercise. It is a good thing I was in shape before he got here. Christmas while wonderful, did a number on me.

Meg and I have started in on FX's Sons of Anarchy which feels like a western with motorcycles. You also get the underlying themes of Hamlet in there too for good measure.

We haven't started thinking about the next posting too heavily yet, but I imagine that by the time Xan's birthday hits we will be doing a fair bit of clock-watching.

A change gonna come...

Usually people use a phrase like that to indicate some kind of a makeover for a site. I just thought it would be a good way to describe this post's content.

We received our next posting and we will be heading to Tegucigalpa, Honduras come Summer 2012. It was definitely a surprise as we had mentally written it off in favor of a number of other posts on our bid list. After a couple of days saying "Hunh, Honduras..." We have righted our mental ships and are looking to the Winter when we return to Washington D.C. for training and some much needed America time. Xander will be a healthy distance past one year old and will be ready to start the adventure of becoming bilingual.

After the rather epic experience of learning Mandarin Chinese, learning Spanish seems like a breeze. It is an amazing turn from a time where I thought learning one language seemed like an incredibly difficult concept. Thankfully as Americans we are inundated with Spanish in our daily lives. I personally already had an intensive dose back in College, so turning that part of my brain back on shouldn't be terribly difficult. Plus, every single owner's manual I have has an Espanol section so it isn't like I am lacking in practice materials!

I don't what the coverage of the Japan earthquake has been like in the United States, but here in China, it is unrelenting. I am utterly stunned by the scope of the devastation. I really feel I can't say anymore other than my heart is with the Japanese and I hope peace and order returns to their lives as soon as possible. Hour after hour we find a new story of tragedy that rips the heart open anew.

Best Picture

Stevie S is out to give us the haps on who won best picture.

Like I said, 10 best pictures is a bit much.

Social Network, and King's Speech are your frontrunners. Don't count out Black Swan though.

Here we go...

The King's Speech!

Social Network lost momentum in the last stretch and King's Speech wins at the tape!

OSCARS 2011 CON'T

I have totally lost track. That's what happens with a five month old.

Congrats to tom hooper for Best Director. Great Choice.

Natalie Portman absolutely deserved Best Actress. I think I would have been fairly disappointed if Annette Benning won.

Best Actor: Has to be Firth?

...Firth! A long time coming for hands down one of the best actors in the World. I think he gets Knighted after this.

OSCARS 2011 CON'T

Ceine Dion is out to sing over the "in remembrance " montage.

Did we need to see her live? Thankfully no applause as the clip played. Always gets awkward.

Halle Berry out to introduce Lena Horne tribute.

OSCARS 2011 CON'T

Best Documentary Feature:


...Inside Job, Sorry, had to take a break for feeding. I thought Restrepo would have won, but Inside job was the most current.

Inception wins for Visual Effects.

They are just cleaning up in the tech categories.

You would think this build momentum for a best picture win, but you might be wrong.

Film Editing: Usually a bell weather for Best picture:

....Social Network. Yep, this pretty much means Social Network gets Best Pic.

Jennifer Hudson is out to introduce the next two Best Song Noms. Has she never used a teleprompter before? She looked like a deer in headlights...

Sooo, best original song is...

Randy Newman and his second win. Awesome speech from cranky Randy Newman!

oSCARS 2011 CON'T

by the numbers so far...

Best Short Doc Film...

no idea...

...strangers no more karen goodmn and kirk smon, sorry, baby in other arm

Best short feature:

God of Love... great speech from luke matheny

OSCARS 2011 CON'T

Technical awards. So underrated. I love those guys...and Franco just destroyed their achievement...Nice.

Makeup achievement:

...Rick Baker and the Wolfman crew! Too bad the movie wasn't better.

Costume design: Alice in Wonderland?

Yep, Coleen Atwood. I don't know how she wouldn't have been selected. When she goes big, she is amazing. I really loved the King's Speech costumes though. Obviously they weren't as flashy, but they were so spot on and comprehensive.

Best song:

Montage of people talking about their favorite songs somewhere in LA. Oh, surprise Obama clip touting As Time Goes By...

Spacey breaks into song, claims to be Clooney... and introduces the first nominated song. Randy Newman again. What is an Oscar telecast without a Randy Newman song? Refreshing, that's what.

Mandy Moore and Zachary Levi for Tangled. Who new Levi could sing like that? hunh.

Annd break!

OSCARS 2011 CON'T

Seriously, pimping ABC? Great, let's limit more speeches...

Hugh Jackman and Nicole Kidman, the World's least offensive Aussies. Not that I consider Aussies offensive.

History of sound in movies.

Ladies and Gentlemen, John Williams and the London Symphony Orchestra! Not really... :(

Best original score: Hmmm, Social Network for it's minimalist glow? Or Inception's bombast?

And it goes to... Trent Reznor and Atticus Ross. The lead singer of Nine Inch Nails just won an Oscar. God, the 90's were soooo long ago.

ScarJo and Matt Mcmo.

Best Sound Mixing: I think Inception has to win this one.

...Inception! That film did so many things right...

Sound editing: Inception two in a row... maybe.

...Inception again! I really don't know how they would have given them mixing and then not have given them editing.

OSCARS 2011 CON'T

Best Supporting Actor! Bale's to lose and Rush's to steal.

Bale was amazing... so good.
John Hawkes may slip in on a split vote.
So could Jeremy Renner...

God, I love this category.

Ruffalo is the only one that doesn't make a lot of sense. He was good, but it wasn't anything he hadn't done before.

Goes to... Batman! Holy hand grenades Batman!

So the next Batman film has 4, count them 4, Academy Award winners. Bale, Freeman, Caine, Cotillard. Oh, and 5 if you count the production team!

Break!

OSCARS 2011!!!

I think I finally get to watch the Oscars after last years debacle left me wildly unsatisfied. In China you get the Golden Globes and the Grammy's, but not the Oscars. So this year, STAR Movies made a special point of covering the awards and here we are.

I am not a fan of the 10 best picture category as I think it lets in some films that have no business being considered and splitting the votes from the creme de la creme. However, you do get the much needed omissions that end up getting rewarded in Screenplay and Director's categories.

James Franco doesn't really seem to care that he is hosting. Weird. Anne Hathaway is throwing herself into every joke.

Best Art Direction: Alice in Wonderland takes the bald dude. Awkward acceptance where the guy puts a tiny mad hatter hat on the statue.

Best Cinematography: True Grit is the favorite here...

Wally Pfister for Inception! Wow, what an upset. I wonder if Inception will clean up in all it's other categories. After this, Pfister goes onto the next Batman movie.

We're back...



They roll out Kirk Douglas to remind everyone that he is indeed Spartacus. He is presenting best supporting actress.

Really strong category as always. Amy Adams continues to be the most consistently awesome actress working today. Melissa Leo was also great in The Fighter. I thought Hailee Steinfeld was good, but not the revelation everyone else said she was. Douglas has hijacked the awards...

Melissa Leo for The Fighter! Great win for an actress who has paid her f'n dues. She looks great. She is just completely overwhelmed by the moment. Every actor dreams about this ...OH she dropped the F-bomb! Congrats Melissa! She and Kirk need to go on the road.

Back to awkward humor from Franco and Anne. BTW, James Franco may only be referred to as Franco from now on. Got to keep the meta up.

Timberlake is evidently Banksy.

What are Kunis and Timberlake talking about? Stupid inside jokes.

Best Animated short: The Lost Thing.

Sorry, had to warm a bottle. Great acceptance speech.

Best animated feature:

Toy Story 3's to lose.

Annnnnd... Toy Story 3. Pixar just keeps knocking them down. Suck it Dreamworks!

Break!

Back again, a look at the first "Aren't we awesome awards".

Bardem and Brolin in matching tuxes. Odd. Bardem...oddest looking-good looking man.

Best adapted screenplay: Has to go to Social Network. Sorkin's dialogue is always razor sharp...

Boom, Social Network. Aaron Sorkin in his first win. Camera lingers on Jessie Eisenberg lovingly.

Best original Screenplay: King's Speech... David Seidler (Sp?) Yes, spelled correctly.
Great speech from an old pro. I get pissed when their speeches get interrupted by the producers telling them to wrap it up. Why? So I can watch more montages and awkward comedy that no one in the viewing audience gets? It is an award show! Let them talk!

Break!

Hey, Anne Hathaway sings, let's have her waste time and sing!

Ah, Franco in a dress...

And token Charlie Sheen joke.

Russel Brand, Great British Comedian of the moment.

Best Foreign Language Film:

Oscar goes to... In a Better World, Denmark. This was the favorite. A film about the human process of revenge and anger. I really want to see this.

Goodbye Ronnie.

Ron Santo died today. I feel sad of course, but mostly I am just angry. I know that isn't any way to live life, but in this case I think some anger needs to be released, because the Santo family is too classy to do it themselves.

Ron Santo played 14 seasons for the Chicago Cubs. He was one of the greatest third basemen of all time. He was never elected to the Hall of Fame. Journalists had years to put him in, then the Veteran's committee had their opportunity. Through arrogance, derision, our outright jealousy they denied him his place while he lived. Now, more than likely, Ron will be inducted posthumously. That is an outrage and and an offense of grand proportion. Ron developed diabetes at 18 and played his entire major league career with the condition. He never had the medication or the treatment that would have prolonged his career or could have prevented the amputations that robbed him of both of his legs a few years ago. He put up numbers that rank him as one of the best players of all time, period. The stats don't lie people.

Ron smiled through it all. He never let the insult get him down. He was the epitome of class to the very end. Ron deserved better. The Hall of Fame is filled with racists, cheaters, junkies, and others whose entire existence never held a candle to Ronnie's. He was a champion of the game, and he was champion in life.

So I find myself standing for his defense. After Ron ended his playing career, he became an announcer for the Cubs on the radio. Ron was the voice of the fan. The heart of every bleacher bum was Ronnie. He called the games as his emotions dictated. It was never in-depth, but it was always from the heart and it was never mean, never cruel. I don't know if Ronnie had it in him to be spiteful.

Those members of the Veteran's committee who never voted for him before but will vote for him now should be ashamed. Through their own arrogance, they have denied a man his reward for a lifetime of love dedicated to the game. Ron deserved the chance to speak before the assembled throngs of Cooperstown. He deserved to see an ocean of Cubbie blue filling the lawn to applaud his induction. I have always felt that if you earn your seat in Cooperstown, you deserve it from the day you hang up your spikes. I don't believe in the absolute sham of voting that exists today. No one will ever care about how may votes it takes to get into the Hall. The only thing that matters is induction. We will never know who kept Ronnie out, but I can take a guess. They were people who built their own careers off the greats that played with them. They had teammates who enhanced their stats and helped win them championships. They held it against Ronnie that he never won a World Series. Which, the last time I checked was impossible to do by oneself in the game of Baseball.

My heart weeps for the Santo family. Ronnie's number hangs from the foul pole at Wrigley to wave until the game of Baseball is wiped from human history. The city of Chicago has lost a legend. They have lost a role model. They have lost a beloved friend. Fans of all teams knew and respected Ronnie. They feel his loss almost as dearly as Cub fans do. He will be greatly missed and his legacy will live on. The young man, the Cub, the embodiment of joy in the game of Baseball clicking his heels in the summer of '69 will never be forgotten.

We love you Ron. In our hearts and minds there is no one better.

Time flies when you are sleep deprived...

What day is today? Is it Wednesday? Thursday? Halloween? I really don't know from day to day anymore. For anyone not in the know, my wife and I celebrated the birth of our first child last month and it has been a blissful blur of days ever since. So much so that I haven't time to jot down my thoughts. I am beyond happy to have a child in the house, and I love my wife even beyond the bordering on silly levels at which I loved her before. While we have plenty of ups and downs as any new parents do, the change to your life is truly indescribable until it happens to you. I had all these preconceptions of what fatherhood would be like, but nothing prepared me for the moment. The wave of emotions and realizations that wash over you is all-encompassing. Every parent has a World of hopes and dreams for their child and we are certainly no different. Keeping perspective through all of that has been a priority. I am trying very hard to enjoy all the small moments of every single day and appreciate just how wonderful those quiet, serene moments are as I stare at him in amazement. Every time he looks up at me and squeezes my finger I can't help but feel that I would move mountains for him if I could.

Tastes like victory!

This weekend I joined the American consulate dragon boat team in defending our championship. We won first place for the third straight year, but it wasn't the cakewalk that last year's was. We defeated the second place team by just a mere second. I have to say, I don't know if my arms have ever hurt more than they did at the end of that race. For 500 meters we paddled as hard as we could. Probably too hard! With our Marines up front setting the pace, we started fast and furious and probably burned ourselves out faster than we needed too. We kept our lead, but our second place rivals saved their best for last and were only a few more meters from taking the trophy.



The race was held out at a huge recreation park holding an aquatics center, a golf course, residential villas, and an aircraft carrier... Yes, that's right. A full size aircraft carrier parked in concrete. Surrounded by rockets, and old model jet airplanes. Ah, "The China". I really wish we had a picture of the thing so everyone could see it. It is really something to behold.

New Blurg.

I have a new blog that I will be posting on dedicated to my pursuit of all things trivial and geek related. I can't say my first post is light and fluffy considering the subject matter, but be aware that all who go to this blog will lost in a land of geekery from which you may never return. Stay tuned to Global D'oh-mination if you just want random stories about daily life in "The China" and cute baby photos which are coming soon. You can find the direct link to Aspiration Figures on the right side under "Other assorted ramblings".

-Ryan

Oh, the anticipation!

Today my wife is officially full term with her pregnancy. It's great news, but we are still three weeks from the expected due date and we are both tired of waiting. This baby cannot arrive soon enough. I find myself having a difficult time focusing on any non-baby related tasks simply for fear of having to abandon them for a full week once the baby decides he is tired of hanging out in his own personal water-park. I have some custom projects yearning to be worked on, but I just cannot muster the single minded intensity to leap into them. Now, many of you would say; "You better start them now, because once the baby is there every free second you get is a blessing." To that I say, you're right. Fundamentally I understand that a whopping majority of my free time will now be spent seeking out a comfortable nap. However, there is still this small section of me that thinks I can slip in an hour or two to paint or sculpt.

How do you get impatient with something that has no idea it is on time table? We want that baby here, but baby gonna do what baby gonna do. At this point he has essentially finished cooking. Yes, I am comparing my unborn child to a chicken-pot pie. Once he arrives though he still requires an absurd amount of care. We are one of the only species that gives birth to a child that is absolutely helpless for nearly the first year of it's life. A video we watched posited the theory of using the first three months outside the womb as the fourth trimester. It is a fantastic concept and one I never gave any thought to. When I look back at my lifeline, I am amazed at how little real concerted thought I gave to the concept of childbirth and development. Anyone betting on me to be a pediatrician lost big time, and I am talking Los Angeles Clippers big time.

We have another doctor's appointment on Saturday, but let's be honest, that baby could show up tomorrow! I don't have time for all these "appointments" I am too busy observing my wife, and jumping every time she says "ooh".

And in a case of "wow, this would be a great water breaking story..." We are going to try and see Inception today. I will finally be able to absorb all information pertaining to said film and discuss every crazy plot point a full month past the point of anyone caring!!!!!!!

So, so low...

I am at my absolute lowest point as a Cubs fan. It has always been a real emotional test, but right now I think it is hitting me the hardest. The team is in the cellar, they traded off two of their starting infielders and have no real hope of redemption for the rest of the season. I think what ices this season as the worst I have experienced is the promise it began with.

Obviously beating St. louis this year was always going to be a chore and I don't know where the Reds came from to be as good as they are. Still, at the beginning of the season it seemed like the Cubs had a team that could compete strongly. They had a good but not great pitching rotation and a very solid infield and outfield group. It seemed they were still better off than most teams in the Central division.

2003 was not nearly as heart wrenching because we were so close to the World Series and the ride had been so phenomenal. It was that short sharp shock that stung, but it was really only one moment. Most of the early 90's were pretty bad, but the team never looked terribly good so it wasn't a case of getting one's hopes up. No, this season takes the cake. It has been a Eugene O'Neil play as they slowly slipped into the abyss.

The Cubs have officially raised the white flag on the season and we are now left to observe the remains for signs of hope. I'm not one for curses, I don't blame Steve Bartman, or goats, or black cats. I just sigh and shake my head as I watch a team that just cannot catch a break run themselves into a wall. I look at the stats and I am just bewildered. It is amazing to me that this team won the NL central two years in a row and then completely bottomed out.

Through it all, I'm still here though. I'll take my castor oil and get ready for next season. This feels very much like a return to the crucible of my youth. The Cubs are the lovable losers once again, but we know that in this modern era that philosophy will no longer stand. The new owners can't be happy with this performance and I hope it lights a fire under them to make some strong decisions that will see the team back on top sooner rather than later.

The heat, oh God the heat!

Just your standard complain about the weather post. The last few days have been in the 100s. Throw in humidity over 50% and a heat index of 117 and you really feel that you might spontaneously combust. Most of Shanghai is doing it's best just to move from shady place to shady place.

Alls well with baby news. Monday marks 34 weeks meaning we have just about six weeks left until he decides to make an appearance. So, is it the same deal as groundhogs day? If he sees his shadow do we get 6 more weeks of summer? Why does that sound wrong? Hmmmmm.

My Cubs are a disaster. They started off the second half with a nice run and then the wheels came off. The part of Chicago that could care less about the White Sox has already begun to focus on the Bears. I'm conflicted about bringing a child into the swirling chaos of Chicago sports fandom. Should I bring a child into this World and try to make him a Cubs fan. Is that cruelty? Is that endangerment? Am I psychologically scarring the child for his entire life? Granted, one World Series win would erase all guilt, but the potential trauma is there.

The English Premier League season opens today. It feels a bit like having the old "hair of the dog" if you will after the World Cup. Don't get me wrong, I am really excited. This was one of the most hectic transfer periods in recent memory with Manchester City loading up like the Yankees. I don't know if that bodes well for my Red Devils over at United, but it is a long season. Chelsea gets off easier if you will with an opener against minnows West Bromwich Albion. I think I might hit the pub with friends and catch some of the early games before heading off to a colleague's birthday party.

Last night saw me attending a "Gentleman's whiskey and cigar night". No ladies allowed. I laughed at the silliness of it all. I am about the last guy you would usually find attending any kind of an old boys club type event like that, but it ended up being a good time as the rep from Diageo gave us a tasting of the Johnny Waker line from Red to Black, to Green to Blue. Having never indulged in the higher end fare, I was surprised at how much of a difference in quality there was as you moved up the ladder. I now understand why the Blue label goes for so much more. While I don't see myself buying a bottle of Blue label every time I need a bottle of whiskey, I know I probably won't be buying the Red label unless I'm buying for mixers. Ironically enough, the rep who gave the presentation doesn't drink a drop of alcohol. Thankfully that last bit of information was not revealed until the end, lest we rebel against him.

The problem with...The Phantom

So what is wrong with the Phantom? Hmmm? The truth is nothing. just like there is nothing wrong with Flash Gordon, Buck Rogers, The Shadow, or any of the other pulp narrative characters that came upon us in the 1930s. Why hasn't this character latched onto the higher tier of popularity like Batman? What separates the A-level characters from the those that hang on with cult followings such as The Phantom? The problem, or rather the truth is that a lot of these pulp-hero characters will never quite reach the apex unless their worlds are expanded and the characters updated.

It almost seems a lost cause to hope that many of these pre-WWII characters will ever find a massive foothold outside of their current fan bases. As the years go by, many of the original fans die off without enough new fans being brought into the fold. It is the task of a few to keep the torch burning brightly so that these characters can survive to greet a new generation of fans. Ultimately, stagnation may kill many of these characters as time rolls on. An obsessive need to pigeon hole a character for the sake of the loyal can only help to weaken the character further. As the memories of the era fade so does interest in it's fiction. It doesn't have to be this way though. The road map is there and is easily traced for anyone looking to follow.

Many of these characters run on a familiar cycle. Years go by, a comics company or a television or movie studio pick up the rights thinking they have a sure fire franchise bought on the cheap. A mediocre effort is put forth, the fervent adoring faithful smile enjoying the fact that anyone has proffered a new story while secretly twisting inside knowing that so much more can be done if only a true creative force were to place it's weight behind it. You can see the pattern. Buck Rogers, Flash Gordon, The Shadow, The Phantom, and now The Green Hornet all received similar treatment only to lapse back into the hands of the ardent supporters as the speculators walk away wondering what went wrong. Granted the Green Hornet film hasn't hit yet, and the new run of comics has only just started to stretch it's legs. The signs are there though. We get a film that looks like a cash grab plagued with trouble and very little respect paid to the original and very little new added to the legacy.

So what do you do? Do you even bother? I mean, let's create something new and move on. Weeeell, let's not yank up the tent posts just yet. Most new ideas are barely even new anymore. Most themes have been played over so many times that we have to distill story ideas past the concepts. If you are like me, then you believe that the way forward is always with the characters. You can mold any concept around a rich cast of characters. Star Wars is a great concept, but what is it without Han Solo, et. all? What is Batman without the Joker? Ahhh, now we are getting to it.

As a sidebar, one of the things that a lot of these top level characters have going for them is fortune. In the last few years we have seen numerous characters dusted off after emerging into public domain. The Green Lama, The Black Terror, have all received a new coat of paint and have been kicked out the door. Batman and Superman had DC Comics which did a very good job of surviving the post-war years and conservative censorship to eventually be picked up by a major media conglomerate which was happy to throw marketing muscle behind it's properties. I dare say that if characters like Flash Gordon and the Phantom hadn't been running consistently in newspapers, they very well might have died out like many of these other pulp-era heroes. So we find that many of these characters exist in a different strata. You have the household name characters like Spider-Man, Hulk, Superman, etc. Then we get our 2nd tier heroes of yore that exist outside regular comic circles but still maintain a foothold in that realm and have also enjoyed a broader media life; Gordon, Phantom, Shadow. Then below them we find all these characters that exist in their isolated media world's like most comic characters yet to have a cartoon or a film such as Iron Fist, Blue Beetle, Grendel and so on.

Let us start with Flash Gordon. A personal favorite of mine, Flash lives on kind of a middle plane between the Batmans of the world, and the Phantoms and Shadows. Part of what creates that buffer is the world created around Flash. He has one of the greatest and most surreal cast of supporting characters you will ever find. Without those, Flash really is just Buck Rogers on another planet. So it is with Batman, Batman has the Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, Two-Face, Robin, Commissioner Gordon and on and on ad nauseam. If Batman didn't have a constantly expanding roster of interesting characters to interact with, he would just be the Shadow.

So now we get down to it. What is wrong with the Phantom? Is it the purple? Nah, my favorite character wears tights and dresses like a bat. Purple isn't the problem. Is it the white horse and the wolf in the jungles of Africa? Well, no, Wonder Woman cruises around in an invisible jet and has a lasso that makes you tell the truth. Bad origin? Nope, His ancestor, Christopher (Kit) Walker washes up on the island after his ship is attacked by pirates and swears to devote his life to eradicating piracy from the Earth. Each generation followed in his footsteps to take on the mantle of the Ghost Who Walks, The Phantom. Sounds cool to me. Daredevil was a blind kid in Hell's Kitchen that got doused with radioactive waste. The Phantom in particular suffers from a lack of really interesting support. We get the Singh brotherhood and that about sums it up.

The Phantom has never really had a great set of friends or a rogue's gallery to help drive his adventures. Moonstone did a really great job of telling traditional modern day Phantom stories. Part of the issue though is the world he was in never grew. Right now African pirates are a great modern enemy but they end up being pretty faceless. The Phantom has always had allies, but never anyone who truly was worth keeping up with. Dynamite entertainment begins their own Phantom comic series this month and it remains to be seen what they will add to the legacy of the Walker family line. The man in charge of writing these new adventures, Scott Beatty, has echoed my own belief in character and talked about the journey of Kit Walker. Can he choose to end the legacy of the Phantom? Sounds interesting, but you have to grow the universe the character lives in. The world is an enormous place and piracy exists everywhere in myriad of forms. I'm not talking about middle aged men with handcarts of DVDs in Shanghai, but you catch my drift. The Phantom seems like a character ripe with possibilities for modern times.

Syfy (that name change still drives me insane.) network just released a new Phantom TV movie that they are hoping to turn into a full series. I haven't seen it yet, and I have to say I was really underwhelmed by the new look of the Phantom costume. Really it was mostly the look of the helmet which resembles a scarf wrapped over a person wearing really big flat sunglasses. I applaud the attempt because I do acknowledge that if we want to throw a superhero into a modern setting, some effort has to go into creating a look that won't get you laughed out of a bar. Not to keep bringing this back to Batman, but Christopher Nolan's The Dark Knight did a great job of creating a functional and cool looking costume that never seemed like a terrible stretch from the original concept Bob Kane came up with all those years ago.

I'd be remiss if I didn't mention the Phantom's International following. It is one of the keys to his staying power and ability to capitalize on a global market. The Phantom is still one of the most popular comic books in Scandinavian countries, along with Australia, Italy and Turkey. While I have to admit a lack of knowledge of their own independent Phantom story lines, it seems clear that there is an audience that cares deeply for this character and is ready to see the character move on the next level.

As I stated, the road map to relevancy is there. Establish a fully realized world for the character to inhabit and journey through. Give the character sounding boards and obstacles to overcome in the face of characters that push the hero to become even stronger. Allow the character to evolve as the times changes knowing that continuity is your friend and not your enemy. Do remember that these characters are popular for very good reasons and that is because they once touched a chord in the public's heart that can still resonate with a modern audience.