Unbelievably a town nearby has a Scifi museum. Even crazier, we still haven’t visited! However they have had a superhero comics exhibition on all year. As a result every roundabout in town has had a different superhero symbol on it. There was even a life sized Hulk and a Batmobile in the town centre. I couldn’t drive to the shops without seeing Batman…
Tag Archives: Superman
Scifi advent calendar day 14
We’ve been putting the Christmas decorations up today. In the process we found our stockings and realised that Scifi baby needs one too. Somehow I got talked into making him one. In true Scifi fashion it’s got to be Superman – apparently he’s more festive than Batman 😄
Scifi advent calendar: day 5
I made a new bean bag for Scifi hubby’s Batcave.
Jingle bells, Batman smells, Robin flew away
It’s the first year we’ve spent Christmas at home for a while and we put the Christmas decorations up this week. I love Christmas and we seem to collect more and more Christmas ‘stuff’ each year. In fact we have ten huge plastic boxes in the cellar which poor Scifi hubby had to drag upstairs so I could rummage through them (you don’t make a nine months pregnant Scifi wife rummage in boxes in the cellar – at least if you want to stay alive that is).
I’ve never been someone who wants a perfectly matching set of decorations. Most of the decs are red, green and gold or Santa shaped but it’s never been a hard and fast rule. Which is just as well as what I hadn’t completely realised was how much Scifi hubby has been influencing our decoration purchases over recent years…
I think it started with the nativity scene. Years ago I insisted we had to have one and although Scifi hubby really isn’t into religion he compromised when we found a nativity scene made from Playmobil (more on this last year). A couple of statues from Nightmare Before Christmas appeared a few years ago as did a singing Grinch and Shrek and Donkey with Christmas hats. Somewhere along the lines we collected a full set of four inch tall Muppet toys (from McDonalds I think) which now go on the Christmas tree.
This year I got part way through putting the decorations and decided to go for a nap (I’m blaming Scifi baby). When I came back Scifi hubby had finished putting all the decorations up and the scale of the Scifi/movie/kitsch invasion became clear. Our Christmas tree may be the only one to include: Batman; Catwoman; two batmobiles one of which plays the Batman theme tune; Superman; Spider-Man; Darth Vader (in a Santa hat); Jabba the Hutt (on his plinth); King Kong; Dumbo; Peter, Stewie and Brian from Family Guy; a full set of Muppets; Shrek and Donkey; the Grinch; Playmobil Santa, angel and various people; Spongebob Square Pants and Patrick; Jack, Sally and the little henchmen Lock, Stock and Barrel from Nightmare Before Christmas; various Smurfs; German glass Christmas ornaments of Santa on a motorbike, Santa in a UFO, a fat cat, a fat fairy, a glittery hedgehog etc; and of course a Coca-Cola truck and polar bear. Oh and going round the bottom of the tree there’s a musical Santa Express steam train.
I think the theme has become Scifi Christmas kitsch. I suppose I should be glad we still have a normal angel on the top – although that could just be because he’s never found a suitable Poison Ivy figure.
Can you spot them all…
Marvel and DC lessons at sea are just Top trumps
We recently came home from holiday on an overnight ferry. Once on board we, of course, wandered around, found the bar, the restaurant and the shop. What most adult couples probably don’t do is buy two packets of Top Trumps to play. Of course Scifi hubby couldn’t resist when he saw both Marvel and DC Top Trumps for sale. So we spent the evening sat in the bar arguing about who is stronger Batman or Superman, the Thing or Hulk and whether Batman/Bruce Wayne and Superman/Clerk Kent should have the same scores as their alter egos.
The DC set uses some really nice art by an artist called Ariel Olivetti who we actually met at New York Comic Con last year and have a Batman/Joker commission from on our wall. So whilst we argued about whether Lois Lane really only scores 5/10 for intelligence I could at least admire Superman.
It’s amazing how detailed, and passionate some of the debates became with the DC set. According to the cards Harley Quinn is the same (low) intelligence level as Lois. Ok so Lois is sooooo stupid she can’t work out that Clark is Superman but she’s also an award winning journalist so surely not that stupid. Harley Quinn was a psychiatrist before she went loony, so again, not so stupid really. The Riddler scores 6/10 yet designs puzzles that confound Batman. Commissioner Gordon is smarter than the lot of them – a little unlikely.
I managed to prove that can’t tell the different Robins apart so got a long lecture on who they all are and how to tell at a glance – apparently the clue is in the cloak. They are: Dick Grayson (who becomes Knightwing), Jason Todd (murdered by the Joker but resurrected by Ra’s Al Ghul and becomes the Red Hood), Timothy Drake, Stephanie Brown (yes Stephanie – a blonde and female Robin), Damian Wayne (the son of Bruce Wayne and Talia Ghul) and Carrie Kelly (also female and this time ginger). I include this level of detail as writing it down will hopefully (?) make me remember it. Apparently these are crucial facts that everyone should know.
The Marvel art wasn’t as nice but I did get a crash course into the Marvel Universe which I don’t know at all beyond Spider-Man and the Avengers. It seems to me that almost every character has a matching DC character but I still have no idea of which came first and who copied who. Scifi hubby has only recently started reading Marvel stuff in any great quantity so I finally found things he doesn’t know. For example I still don’t have a clue who Luke Cage is. I got the full back story on the movie that now isn’t being made but no backstory for the guy himself. Also discovered my hubby has a love of Antman. Yes you read that right, there’s a character who can go from the size of an ant to the size of a giant. Interesting superpower…
By the end of the evening I held a hand with Batman, Superman, Joker, Bane and Commissioner Gordon so winning became a forgone conclusion. *Victory was mine mwhahaha…*
———————–
When we got home and emptied the coolbox I discovered it had Han Solo and a Tauntaun hiding at the bottom. Just a guess but I think I might find them in the fridge soon joining Luke and the Wampa…
Note to self: keep geeky side quiet when having dinner with normal people
I’ve been out for dinner tonight with some people from work. We’ve had a lovely evening. We had cocktails on the roof terrace then great food in the garden restaurant. They are a group I don’t know very well yet but will be working with a lot in the coming months. Maybe I should have thought about this before my geekiness began to show…
As dinner table conversation flowed from work to holidays to restaurant recommendations to the Olympics to Delboy and Rodney being Batman and Robin to the latest Batman movie I found myself explaining the whole DC v Marvel universe. In WAY too much detail. No normal person should know this stuff.
Someone said they liked the new Spiderman movie but couldn’t understand why they were telling the back story all over again. What possessed me to actually answer I’m not sure but I did (I’m blaming the cocktails). How do I know the names of all the Avengers and all the Justice League? How do I know about Sony having the rights to Spiderman and Marvel wanting them back so they can include Spidy in the next Avengers movie? Why does no one seem to know that there is an extra clip after the end credits on all the Marvel movies which all link together? How do I know so much about the new Superman movie. And what ever made made me think that normal people would know or care who Adam West and Burt Ward are?
I’m hoping I didn’t sound as insane as Scifi hubby can at times. I didn’t rant about the Batman movie. I didn’t declare undying love for Superman. I didn’t tell them I’m half an inch too tall to be an Ewok. I didn’t mention the collection or conventions or that I was wearing Batgirl knickers (yes really). I think I pulled it off but I guess I’ll find out in the office tomorrow…
Batman and Robin appearing at the Olympic Closing ceremony
Coming soon: Scifi Nephew
My sister in law is due to have her first baby soon and our first nephew. We’ve got two nieces from the other sister in law but this is the first baby boy in the family. Predictably Scifi hubby has been looking for scifi themed baby stuff.
There is some really cute stuff out there but the crotched baby batman cocoon and cowl has to be my favourite…
Although ‘Superbaby’ is quite cute too
And I could be tempted by the cuddly Batman
Unfortunately I can only imagine by brother’s reaction to receiving anything like this. So whilst I love them I think I’ll keep the credit card in my bag this time and go and find a nice, normal, fluffy bunny.
Have you ever wondered what Batman smells like?
Or for that matter Superman, Green Lantern or the whole Justice League? The answer is like cheap aftershave aimed at 8 year olds apparently…
Found in duty free
Musings from 30,000 feet
I’m writing this whilst in an airplane somewhere over France (although from a safety perspective only uploading once I land of course) watching the sunset outside the window. We’re above the clouds with that beautiful affect of dusky sky above, fluffy white below and a pink line of sunset in between.
However I’m also sat over the wing of the plane. Ever since I watched Superman (the ‘new’ one with Brandon Routh) I can’t sit above the wing without expecting Superman to fly past the window and rescue me.
I know Scifi hubby complains the movie isn’t accurate to the comics and that Superman couldn’t have sex with Lois Lane let alone get her pregnant as apparently Clerks say super-sperm would kill her but quite frankly who really cares? Every woman I know likes the movie and most of us secretly love the original as well.
There’s something about the princess (Lois) being rescued from the evil villain (Lex Luthor) by the gorgeous knight in shining armour (Superman) that just appeals to the little romantic girl inside all of us. For me it’s the scene where Superman saves the plane, steps inside, looks Lois in the eyes and asks if she’s ok. Stupid man – she thinks you’ve been dead for five years and that’s all you can say?! It’s no wonder she faints away down the escape slide.
Scifi hubby has long been my Superman…
Kapow!
Comic conventions have a distinctive smell which makes the light and airy venue for Kapow perfect. In fact it may have been designed with comic nerds in mind. Spread over several levels with a very high glass ceiling the smell has a chance to dissipate and for once wasn’t the first thing you noticed!
Scifi hubby was in his element – two days of comic book heaven. He got lots of autographs, a few sketches, too many new graphic novels (hard covers of course) and of course some comics. We also spent a lot of time in queues, made some new ‘queue buddies’, met Jonathan Ross, watched crap fake wrestling (don’t even ask but here’s video of Jonathan Ross taking part) and caught up with some fellow comic books friends including a few scifi wives.
I do love spotting the ‘girly touches’ at comic cons. There’s a growing range of DC and Marvel home furnishings available including mugs, cushions, tea towels and aprons. My new favourite has to be the Superman and Batman bathmats…
Finally home with a load of washing, comics to put away, sore feet but a very happy scifi hubby.
scifiwife 