Super in-joke!

This weekend, I noticed in the t.v. guide that Superman was finally appearing on Batman: the Brave & the Bold, in the episode, "Battle of the Super-heroes!". So, we made it a point to watch the episode.

My first thought was, "Wow, they're really going for the corny, old-school Superman".

Then things got real crazy.

And really funny.

Funny, that is, if you are aware of Superdickery.com.

That site collects all the crazy out-of-context Superman comic covers over the years that make you scratch your head. Superman being cruel, Lois trying to get Superman to marry her, etc.

In the episode, Jimmy Olsen even starts to say, "Superman sure is being a d..." before he gets cut off.

It’s all funny, but start with Galleries - “Examples of Superdickery” & “Confounding Covers”.

Some of these covers were directly lifted for the episode.

Just a few I spotted;

Super 1

Super 2

Super 3

And, I believe there were also a few Dark Knight Returns visuals when Superman battled Batman (Batman had armor on), but I didn't get to verify that.

Re-reading the Gael

As if I didn't have enough new books to read, I got sucked back into some re-reading.

Reading this for entertainment and writing inspiration.



Cormac Mac Art is, perhaps, Robert E. Howard's least realized hero. There were no sales in his lifetime, only two completed tales, and some fragments and outlines.

I don't know why these stories appeal to me so much. Perhaps it is the Irish connection; or the Viking adventure - or both.

I don't remember if I read these before I read Conan or not. Maybe this was my first realization that Howard had various series of tales featuring different heroes aside from Conan.

For those who don't know, Andrew Offutt revived the character in a series of pastiche novels during the 1970s/early1980s. I have all of them, but I've only read three so far.


Unofficially, David Drake contributed a novel, The Dragon Lord, as well. It's a fun read, if you get a hold of it.

Anecdote of reading and napping

Just a fun anecdote.

Borders dropped their prices this weekend 30%-50% off.

I went to the store again and brought my 2-yr old to get her out of the house for a while.

She fell asleep right as we pulled into our home driveway.

She almost never naps. I couldn't waste the opportunity.

That's the great thing about book shopping. I was able to adapt.

I read a tale from one of my new books in the front seat, she slept in the back for forty minutes.

Then she woke up, and we went inside. :)

(I bought another Warhammer anthology, Death & Dishonour and The King's Gold by Arturo Perez-Reverte (another Captain Alatriste novel.))

A matter of character

OK, fellow writers. Query time.

How do you create/deal with your characters in fiction?

Do you wing it? Give them detailed character traits, histories, etc?

Not-so-detailed information and discover as you go along writing?

I am curious. I have a pile of stories ideas. I am realizing that in addition to “real life” excuses, some of the ideas just won't gel, and I believe it is a matter of not having a handle on the characters.

I have plots, some neat trappings, but I need to execute those with characters that matter, or really – who cares? And, I know that if you throw three different people (characters) in a room, their traits and habits and reactions and interaction will also create/drive plot.

I realize some of my stronger stories were ones where I made an instant (and easier) connection and intuition with the characters.

So, what do you do when you need to get to know your characters, and it doesn't happen off-the-cuff?