VintageComics

It's hard to use a "tool" responsibly when the experts and authorities dispensing the "tool" were corrupt and feeding these overly addictive pills to people who didn't need them and hiding how addictive they were. @buttock commented on this many years ago in a now locked thread I had started, and the system quite literally sold the pills as "safe and effective" when in fact they were neither safe nor effective. Now where have we heard the phrase "safe and effective" before? That's sort of irrelevant because the addicts don't care where they get their opium from. If it becomes scarce from pills and more readily available and cheaper from fentanyl or from prescribed opioids that will be the new target. I am an absolute fan of decriminalizing drugs the way it was done in Portugal and Switzerland, it just needs to be done on a federal level so that funding can be curbed from the criminal justice system and into addiction and mental health support the way it was done in those two countries. Having prescription drugs only available regionally is a recipe for disaster in the same way the West coast is a recipe for disaster for homelessness. People are drawn to the warm weather in much greater numbers to sleep in the streets than in cold weather out east. Having only regional distribution just makes those places distribution hubs and draws people from all over the country to the Wizard of Oz. Your post makes it sound like pill distribution dropped because fentanyl use rose when in fact that is a misdirection. The important takeaway from this chart is that fentanyl rose to fill a void ALREADY caused by the drop in pill distribution due to stronger regulation. Now look at the chart again. While death from heroin use dropped significantly, death from pill distribution has stayed AT OR NEAR PEAK LEVELS even after the rise of death from fentanyl. 2015 was roughly the time I started the thread on Perdue in the Watercooler, and it was at the height of the pill epidemic (as your chart proves) and fentanyl came in at this point. People were literally openly overdosing in public at children's sporting events as one article noted. All that happened was that the demand created by Perdue was replaced with fentanyl as the supply. The chart also proves my worst fears. I argued that the measures taken over the last few years would destroy more lives than ever before by overdose and suicide. You were quite vocal about suicide and overdoses not rising. Since then, we're having unprecedented 30% rises YEAR OVER YEAR. That's a near doubling in 3 years. Life always finds a way and addicts are the most efficient example of this. Those people who are now dying, as illustrated by the meteoric rise in suicides and overdoses (primarily in young people, no less) in the chart above have those to thank, who backed measures that everyone knew would turn into this while many of us tried to prevent it.

From the words of our resident Guru on why John Carter bombed.

My ex was right, it's a good movie for dads to see with their daughters, and that might be the best demographic for this movie. It does really held shine a light onto how some women feel in society. The problem is that it doesn't represent all men or all women while pretending it does. ------------------------------------ The movie has an overarching, underlying and obvious agenda that it attempts to address, but in this charged climate, it doesn't do it effectively and in fact, it does it in exactly the same way the Mainstream Media (MSM) does it - through lies of omission while levying charges of a heinous crime creating more problems than solutions. Yes, I know this is 'satire' but the message isn't being taken as satirical. There people using this movie as a lightning rod. This is quite literally the standard MSM playbook on every major divisive topic out there. By projecting "anger" against all men, as the movie does and portraying every man in the movie as a bumbling insufficiently_thoughtful_person who wants to keep their 'fun manhood' intact, the movie makes a blanket statement about men in a calculated way. Worse, it makes a blanket statement about women, painting them as being all the same, dumb bimbos, making them look "anxious" and "oppressed" by the patriarchy, which is ridiculous.

That would probably be a good discussion to have in the Probations Discussions thread in the Marketplace. https://boards.cgccomics.com/forum/82-marketplace-probations/ I'll add that I openly and vocally staked my reputation on Chip when this all went down years ago and lost a lot of respect from people for it. I won't name names (yet, but may soon as I feel it really shows the character of some of these people ) but a LOT of boardies openly roasted me for backing Chip. Some put me on ignore, some called me names and some shunned me at cons. It was quite the debacle, but I stood my ground even if it added to my "mystique". But I knew he was going through and knew he'd come around with the right people around him and I stood my ground. Quite frankly, I'd appreciate if some of those same people spoke out.

You're a genuinely changed man. It shocked the hell out of me, as I knew you back from your scamming days on Rebelscum, but it's the truth, you REALLY have changed. I'd fully support you being allowed to post in good favour again. I believe with all my heart that Chip has honestly changed and is a better man, a different man than the one we all knew, and deserves a chance to show us that. I believe so as well. Chip and I are friends on social media for about a decade now and I can honestly say that he has come so far that the old Chip is a totally different person. I think many of us change over time and it's important to remember that, rather than stick an old version of someone we used to remember. Too many people do that.

It's pretty well accepted that it ruined his career. There have been many articles written about it. The articles I read faulted upper management for the decision (he apparently fired managers after the video was released) but I'm not well versed in the subject. You've already used that card once. Now it's your turn to admit you were wrong in one of our discussions. I've been waiting for over 2 years and you know where to find me. ------------------------ My other examples (John Carter (2012), Spider-man 3 and Bud Light) were all examples of top down corporate involvement that ruined the end product - or better put, ruined the product's acceptance by the public. There are others but these are clear examples that most will be familiar with.

What you're saying is the collectors can't be objective about their hobby because they're emotionally invested? I couldn't agree more. Everyone is constantly comparing apples to oranges trying to fit their apple into an orange cart. Are we talking about adult or children's comics? Comics were made for kids from the Golden Age (when each issue sold by the 100,000's or the millions) to the Silver Age where I believe numbers had dwindled to 100,000's, the Silver Age saw Marvel cater to a maturing audience and the content became darker. How do sales numbers compare across the eras? Like best selling GA books vs best selling SA books? How do best selling SA books that sold in the 100,000's compare to best selling BS books which I believe eventually sold by the 10,000's? Why did numbers drop across the eras? Another question: How do the best selling comics of all time, which were geared toward children compare to best selling Graphic Novels which are geared toward adults? Things like Maus, V for Vendetta, Watchmen, DKR? https://reedsy.com/discovery/blog/best-graphic-novels All of these criteria are apples to oranges comparisons. That's why I questioned why people aren't discussing the difference between AMERICAN COMICS and Manga, which are just JAPANESE COMICS, which are outselling their American counterparts? Incidentally, the Japanese have taken over the other great American art form as well: Automobiles. Toyota has long ago dethroned the Big 3 as the greatest car manufacturer in the world. So what is different in the culture between Japanese and American products that make Japanese products better and more desirable on so many fronts? The Japanese have quite literally overtaken the two most dominant American markets in US history ON THEIR OWN SOIL. These are all relevant points in the grand discussion and yet, nobody is broaching these topics, choosing instead to only talk about the failing American market while ignoring the rising markets. This something akin to being caught in the "Dialectic Wizard's Circle". You're not breaking free of the spell that is covering everyone's eyes and everyone is staying within the confines of their own comfort zones. You won't find the answers in your own comfort zones.

And this is how you discuss the message without discussing the messenger. See how easy and productive for everyone that is? Now do John Carter of Mars.

Oh, I'm well aware of what satire is. I'm also well aware of the context the satire is placed in. If you drop a satire video of Hitler in 1939 Germany it may not be as well received as it would be received today even though it's satire. Extreme example but it illustrates my point. And so this movie is dropped into a political atmosphere that is so charged that people literally are fighting in the streets over the content that the satire is addressing...but it's just satire. Anyway, just trying to keep everything in it's proper perspective. The video did have funny moments but I generally dislike movies that are overly animated and have no touch with reality (Charlie and the Chocolate factory, the Harry Potter movies and many others that I totally can't watch for this very reason) and so to me personally, all of the extra silly animation really took away from the movie rather than added to it.

You guys are all missing the point. It was outside corporate pressure that pushed him into that video and it ruined his career for the rest of his life. An extreme example, but a valid one that illustrates how the corporate world corrupts an artist's work against their own will.

Thank you. It's appreciated.

We're lovers in secret but acquaintances in public. Don't worry, I won't tell anyone.

I have loved that song since I first heard it back in what, 1985 or 86? I was quite literally going to post this as we were talking about how beautiful art can be when it's unrestrained:

I understood why, though. It's all water under the bridge now. I'm living a different life and fine with just reading the boards and not interacting. There are lots of wonderful people here and they have a wealth of knowledge about the hobby. Some people here have even become friends of mine and I'm certainly appreciative of that. Everyone take care and have a great holiday season. We all grow and change. I read old posts of mine and don't even recognize that person anymore. I've watched you grow over the last 8 or 9 years since that entire debacle and I've been impressed by it as well. Some people really don't want people to change for the better because they can't change and that's got nothing to do with you and everything to do with them.

I'd like to genuinely apologize for my part in the derailment and won't contribute to it any longer. Thanks to @1Cool and @D2 who tried to help.

Let me, with good intent put this in crayon for everyone. I want no pity and I don't have wounds. I don't wound easily, and I genuinely enjoy disagreeing because it makes me stronger, wiser and better but some people just don't play fair and can only hit below the belt. So if you want to bring my (or anyone's) points into a discussion, I would ask you not to "copy and paste" small sections of what someone said. It's not how to have a proper discussion, especially when details matter. Click on that little + sign on the bottom left of every post. This will allow you to carry AS MANY QUOTES AS YOU WANT over into your post, and then quote people PROPERLY and discuss what's IN THE QUOTE rather than paraphrasing and coloring with your own words. That is how you play fair. And DON'T TALK ABOUT THE MESSENGER. Just talk about the message. If everyone did that, this place would be far more productive and peaceful and I think everyone would appreciate that, not just me.

Adding to my previous post, my daughter and I had an interesting discussion after the movie. It's IMPOSSIBLE to miss the message of the movie and how this movie is using the inertia of current political and social movements to propel it. We both agreed it was funny but that it also exaggerated a lot of points to make it's own point (those were my daughter's words, not mine BTW). Spoilers because I'm discussing the plot. ------------------------------ As an aside, in much the same way, I do call out disingenuous film making about women, where they are stereotyped or misportrayed. The criticism goes both ways, as it should and anyone who has followed my posts on here over 20 years knows that many times I've attempted to curb discussions that I felt were disrespectful toward women. The earliest recollection I have of this is when BOC's "Babe" thread was shut down by Architect. There was a bit of an uproar about it and yet I stood on the side that if we wanted women in the hobby, that babe threads would make women feel disenfranchised - this was about 15 years ago. I think at one point some of the women even started a "Babe thread" for women, with only men in it. I'm just pointing this out to say that my criticisms are not only one sided. --------------------------------- And so the gist of the Barbie movie is that men are at fault and women are victims of men. I'd like to again bring up my 21 year old daughter's relationship from my post above because I think it's very relevant. In her relationship, it was on HER to draw boundaries to define what she wanted in her relationship, and more importantly what she didn't want in a relationship - and that's exactly what she did. The movie gives the impression that men are ogres when in fact, all men aren't ogres, just like all women aren't pushovers even though the movie portrays them this way. And that's where I think the problem lies, not in the quality of the movie. I thought the movie was absolutely great in a vacuum. Unfortunately, we're not a vacuum and the problem with this movie is how it's going to be accepted by the culture of people viewing the movie, embracing the negative points made in the movie as gospel, which some people seem to be doing even in this very thread. Weird, right? Again, my daughter AND her mom BOTH thought the movie was off base, using the word "silly" to describe it. And I think the main reason they think so is because they are strong, independent women who have no problem standing up to men. Men simply don't walk all over the women in my life. Looking at this from a different perspective, I can totally see how this movie will speak to women who are not used to standing up for themselves. Every women that I know well, that thought this movie was 'awesome' are also women who have a lot of pressure in their personal lives and yet refuse to draw boundaries for themselves to relieve that pressure. I think this is really the most significant, underlying point that the movie does nothing to address. Nor does it actually address the main reason why men and women behave antagonistically toward EACH OTHER: BIOLOGY. I have some other thoughts but that is the gist of it for now.

Actually, that's not true. The only time I feel the need to interject these days for 'the last word' is if I'm attacked personally, which has been a daily sport for the same group of people for 3 years now but even that's subsiding. Strangely, when the discussion goes outside of the reach of moderation everyone goes strangely silent. They're quite literally trying to shame me into submission or get me banned. THEY'VE STATED IT OPENLY. If the discussion stays on point and people simply discuss the message and not the messenger, I genuinely have no problem staying quiet.

This wasn't meant to be a discussion about which show as better. Circling back to the Marvel booth, I can show you pictures of how their booth has changed over the years. The most impressive one I saw was over 10 years ago before the Thor movie was about to be released. They literally had Odin's throne there and it was so massive it was as big as any display I'd ever seen at a show. Now it's a shell of it's former self. This all meaning to say that Marvel's footprint at conventions, on shelves AND in the real world has been shrinking, and Anime's has been growing. So why is nobody talking about that? That point is at the crux of this entire discussion. Everyone is missing the big picture. -------------------------- To the rest of your point, Corporate involvement destroys art. It always has. One ONLY cares about profit, the other ONLY cares about art and the two are wholly incompatible like oil and water. If the artist gets their way, the corporation makes less profit. If the corporation gets their way, the artist puts out a compromised product. I can give everyone a zillion examples of how corporations have ruined entire careers of artists and employees. Billy Squire. His career was RUINED by corporate involvement. Spider-man 3? Total disaster and Sony admitted there was too much corporate involvement. John Carter from Mars by Disney? Disney literally ruined that movie on purpose just because there was internal feuding among bigwigs. They literally sank a $300MIL blockbuster and ruined the lives of everyone involved by destroying their careers over feuding millionaires. Which significant role has Taylor Kitsch played since that Corporate version of a human sacrifice? Bud Light? Destroyed nearly 40% of their value. These are just a few examples off the top of my head. Also, it's important to note that corporate involvement is NOT SHRINKING, IT'S GROWING. You can't escape it anymore. The Corporations are just as influential now as politicians were a few years ago. They literally have their fingers in everything.

Would you expect any less from me than a deluge of biblical proportions?

It's hard not to reply at all when it's been open season for years and even seems to be endorsed by the powers that be, but you're right. I've edited some of my posts over the last 12 hours and my intent was to stop engaging after my last reply. I do genuinely thank him for directing people to the Marvels movie discussion. Thanks for the reminder, Andrew.

This overall forum is going to continue to expand as Collector's Society acquires new products. It was a "comic / coin / money " forum 20 years ago. Now it's an everything forum as the CS brand has grown. It just makes sense to structure everything in the tidiest way possible for future growth and putting Games in the Games forum and Movies and Shows in their own forum seems logical.

I watched the movie with one of my daughters and her boyfriend. We all found the movie very funny, especially some of the Ken scenes. We were laughing out loud at times uncontrollably. The "beach you off" scene was pretty ingenious. The main thing that I personally felt was that I couldn't relate to these portrayals of "men". I've just never been that "bro" person, and I can illustrate with a story about how our family functions. One of my daughters broke up with her long time boyfriends a while back and was pretty heartbroken about it, but I have to hand it to my kids because they are generally very well wired, really intelligent but also emotionally very mature. After the usual mourning period of a week or two, she started to think things through logically. To her surprise, her boyfriend asked to get back together and SHE had decided she didn't want to after being the one dumped on. She wanted to "think about it". I was pretty surprised so we did the usual father daughter talks, and she decided she wanted some things to change if she was going to get back into this relationship. So she had the talk with her ex and they managed to work things out and things are very different now. She was 21 when this happened, so barely an adult in human years but a fully mature adult in emotional IQ. They got back together after a trial period and now they are happier than ever. This is the world I live in, and how our family operates so I just can't relate to the "bros" in that movie. That's not saying it DOESN'T happen. I know it does. My daughters and female friends tell me how often they get **** pics and lewd comments in their inboxes and it is MUCH more common than the average man realizes. Lewd comments, genitals, creepy stuff thrown their way is actually the norm for women, but and this is a big BUT, this leads me into my 2nd point. And I'm going to make that point after I think about it a bit. I have some work to do.

That’s good advice but that ship sailed long ago. Self control, like editing, is hard.

I'm not here to discuss people. I'm here to discuss ideas. Why moderation continues to allow attacks on PEOPLE I don't understand. People can read the entire locked thread themselves. In fact I think everyone should read it and form their own ideas rather than just read soundbites from the discussion. It's one of the greatest discussions we've had in a long time with lots of nuance and facts that are relevant to this thread and I think they'd learn a lot. Thanks for bringing it up! I fully stand by the points I make. Carry on.