Growler's Random Thoughts...

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One year ago my great friend Irene Cai, passed away.

She was always a joy to be around and changed my life in many ways.

I named my violin after her. I will always remember her.

After a recent visit to my Doctor I was told I have the beginnings of high cholesterol in the blood.

If left unchecked this can lead to strokes or heart attacks in the future. As it's in the early stages this can be fixed by improving my diet and regular exercise.

So I now go jogging every morning around Streatham Common. I used to go a few years ago but stopped some time ago.

The incentive to continue is greater now and I will persist in a more healthier lifestyle.

Thoughts go out to the families of the over 280 people who died in the Italian earthquake in L'Aquila.

Also to the thousands of people affected by injuries and the loss of their homes.

The British Red Cross has launched an appeal to help the injured. Please have a look at their site.

The various representatives of the Cosmic Lantern Corps with Earth's Green Lantern front and centre. Art by Ed Benes. All characters © & ™ DC Comics.

Marvel Comics have been innovating ways to introduce it's stable of superhero characters to an increasing audience ever since it came into being.

This is the first full episode of the 1967 Spider-Man Animated series.

It become world famous due to it's catchy theme tune which I remember fondly.

Sit back and enjoy this classic piece of superhero fiction storytelling.

The New Mutants of 2009. Brought together to be the next generation of X-Men. Art by Diogenes Neves. All characters © & ™ Marvel Comics.

So the world has come together in London for the G20 Summit to help solve this global economic crisis.

It's great to see countries working together for the benefit of the whole world. It's amazing to see developing countries becoming developed in my lifetime e.g, China and India.

What better way to live the values of helping people and enjoying life. The downturn will end, as these things are cyclical, and we will all be stronger for it.

I've been following the latest Marvel Comics superhero output for a while now but as of the latest Dark Reign event I've put this on hold.

This will give me more time to pursue my other goals and also catch up on past events and old trades.

I'll still keep an eye open on the hottest superhero comic book news through these sites though.

Presenting the Exiles. A group of reality travelling superheroes. Art by Dave Bullock. All characters © & ™ Marvel Comics.

After much soul searching, I've embarked on a new chapter in the GrowlerVerse storytelling adventure.

Popular convention states that the story should be complete before showing it to the world. I've decided to flout that and bring you the first draft in progress.

Warts and all.

It's still being plotted and it's my first ever short story.

TechSorcery. A Modern Superhero Tale.

What you see and read will change as I flesh out where I want the characters and story to go and what themes I want to bring out.

The old way wasn't working, so all things must change.

Here's a taste...

It’s quarter to four. Glendon is preparing to go home after a long day at his civil service office workplace. The office is spread out over one floor and is fairly packed. The atmosphere of late has been grim with the plunging economy giving way to talk of relocations and redundancies. He stretches and lets a yawn slip out.

His boss, walking past, gives a sarky comment which annoys him. His mate who is sitting opposite him tells him to relax and don’t take it further. He knows Glendon will take it to heart and keep it in. He answers a late phone call and gives the client some sound advice and he is thankful that the query is brief and simple.

He often wonders if this is what life has in store for him. He’s glad for the job and does it well but he wonders if there is more to life. The phone rings again and a smile breaks over his face.

It’s his girlfriend, Irene. It’s clear how much these two love each other. The body language alone, as he swivels his chair ever so slightly and tilts his head back speaks volumes.

[TechSorcery continues here...]

A great representation of the Green Lantern Corps. Art by Doug Mahnke. All characters © & ™ DC Comics.

I've always been impressed by Marvel Comics' ability to create long lasting characters that adapt well to other mediums.

Take for example, The X-Men. Mutants gifted with extraordinary powers.

Sworn to protect those who hate and fear them having those very same special abilities.

This is from a recent animated series named, appropiately enough, X-Men Evolution.

It's a three part story which contains all of what Marvel do best. Superheroics with characters you can care about.

So sit back and enjoy the experience.

Day of Reckoning - Part 1

Day of Reckoning - Part 2

Day of Recovery

Recently read and enjoyed this extensive article which talked about upcoming changes in the global newspaper industry (and print publishing in general) and the major upheavals being caused by the beauty of the internet.

Change has always happened throughout time.

In fact, it's the one constant that we can all be sure of.

So, I think, it's best to embrace it and move forward. It applies to every walk of life. Nothing stays the same or risks becoming stale and irrelevant. Learning new things constantly is a great way to open your mind and welcome the future.

I've found whilst learning the violin and learning to write fiction, both in the very early stages, that it's not easy but you just have to keep going. Keep finding new ways to keep motivated.

Surround yourself with positive material and people. Just keep moving. If you truly enjoy what you do it won't seem like a chore and you'll look forward to it everyday.

A face off between the JLA of the DC Universe and the Shadow Cabinet featuring characters from the Milestone Universe. Art by Ed Benes. All characters © & ™ DC Comics.

A recent snapshot of the Marvel Universe. Art by Tom Raney. All characters © & ™ Marvel Comics.

Finally watched the Watchmen. Very thought provoking. Rated 18. Very good. Originally gave it an 8 out of 10 but on reflection gets a 7 from me.

An intelligent take on what superheroes could actually be like if they existed in today's world. A dark interpretation.

This was based on Alan Moore's take from his graphic novel which I still haven't read yet.

The beauty about comic books is that every author can put their own take on a story and there are many more similarly themed stories out there. A personal favourite of mine was Marvel Comics Squadron Supreme written by Mark Gruenwald.

Stories can range from the dark to the inspiring and uplifting which I tend to enjoy more. Just my taste I suppose.

Creativity is flourishing as we speak. Long may it reign!

A portrait of a few superheroes from the Marvel Universe. Art by David Lafuente and Emily Warren.

Mockingbird, Songbird, White Queen, Ms Marvel, Illyana Rasputin of the X-Men and Spider-Woman © & ™ Marvel Comics.

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