Holiday Goodies

Karen: It's that time of the year when it seems like food is everywhere. People bring goodies to work, there's stuff at home, there are parties and other activities where food is around. So let's discuss favorite holiday food and treats.

Karen: Who doesn't love a good, juicy turkey? And yet, preparing that bird so that it comes out just right is no easy task. I recall my parents getting up repeatedly Christmas Eve to tend to the turkey as it sat in the oven, the tantalizing aroma permeating the house. They would be a bit bleary-eyed the next day, but it was worth it when the turkey came out plump and moist. And the stuffing! I personally prefer the stuffing made inside the bird; I think it has more flavor. I have to admit, my own efforts at making a great turkey have been hit or miss, and most of the time, it's just me and my hubby, so we're content to buy a pre-cooked turkey breast, and that's fine. One thing I don't get is the deep-fried turkey. Not only does it seem like it would not taste as good as a slow-cooked oven  turkey, it seems dangerous. Don't believe me? Just listen to what William Shatner has to say about it:

Karen: I already mentioned tamales in our winter wonderland thread, so I won't expound any further on them here, but  come on - meat, corn meal? What's not to like?

Karen: Of course sweets are a big part of this time of year too. One of my favorites is the chocolate orange. Not only does it combine two great tastes -chocolate and orange, duh - but it gives you the visceral thrill of whacking it hard on a counter to break it open. That's nearly as good as a pinata, which is another holiday pleasure for those of us raised out west. 

Karen: My Mom used to make a ton of cookies when I was little. I really liked the snickerdoodles, which had cinnamon, and of course sugar cookies were great because we got to decorate them. But I also enjoyed snowballs, which were almost more salty than sweet (keep it clean). She also made divinity, which I can only describe as solidified corn syrup -it was mind-numbingly sweet -I could never eat it now. But I loved it back in the day. I've never been a big one for traditional flavors like peppermint or gingerbread, and you can keep your eggnog to yourself, thanks. But I'll gladly take a thermos of hot chocolate when I go looking at neighborhood decorations.

Karen: So -what are your favorite goodies this time of year?

Discuss: The Hobbit (the book)

Karen: Since the film is out, let's discuss the book (and let's stick with just this book, and save Tolkien's other works for later posts). I first  read The Hobbit when I was about ten years old. It was yet another book I was introduced to by my older brother. It was the first real fantasy book I'd ever read and opened the doors to a lot of others. I'll always consider The Hobbit to be the icon, the one that set the standards and conventions of fantasy fiction for the decades to come (and you can argue whether that was for good or ill). I still try to read it every few years, and I still enjoy it. 

Pledge Cards

Doug:  The holidays are always a time to get caught up on a little rest and relaxation.  Those of us in the education field tend to be a bit more fortunate than our brethren (and sisthren) who work in other areas.  This year, for example, the school calendar gods were smiling in giving us (of course, it's the students, not the teachers... right?) a break of December 22-January 6.  My sons will have even an additional week beyond that -- oh for those college days!

Doug:  Anyway, assuming you have a few extra days to enjoy friends and family, travel, etc., what will you be reading?  And this can be anything, not just Bronze Age comic love.  For me, I've asked for and hope to receive Marvel Comics: the Untold Story by Sean Howe (Karen's already read this).  It's also known that Legends of the Dark Knight: Marshall Rogers would be a swell thing to send my way.  So obviously those will be on my radar screen if Santa delivers.  Additionally, many of my colleagues at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum have been recommending Tim Snyder's Bloodlands: Europe Between Hitler and Stalin.  I've had it for a few years but have yet to crack it.  That should be rectified.  Obviously that will be a little heavier than Englehart and Rogers doing Batman... 

Karen: I'm also off for about ten days (yes!). What I really need to do is get some writing done. But of course I'll be using some of that time for reading. I already have a stack of comics that I want to dig into; these include early issues of the Marvel Captain Marvel, some Englehart/Brunner Dr. Strange, and a handful of 1960s Sub-Mariners.  I'm hoping to get either the first volume of the Kamandi Omnibus or the Kamandi Essentials under the Christmas tree as well. Of course, I always plan to do a ton of things when I have time off, and I'm lucky if I get half of them done. Still, I'm just grateful for the down time.

Doug:  But, if I got neither of the comics-related tomes I mentioned above, I would really love to find a run of time to sit down with some of my Essentials, particularly Thor.  I have volumes 2-4 and really dig that Kirby/Colletta goodness.  I'd also like to revisit the Tales of Asgard tpb that Karen and I dipped into over a year ago, and I have a couple of Thor "Marvel Premiere Hardcovers" featuring some John Buscema wondfulness.  So, for the sake of today's exercise, the Thunder God books are what I'll go with for my lighter fare.  How about you?

Karen's and Doug's Favorites: Silver Surfer 4

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What's Your Legion Moniker?

Doug:  Good news today, friends!  We've all passed the Legion of Super-Heroes try-outs, and are about to be instated as full-fledged members!  However, before the swearing in ceremony and awarding of our flight rings, we have to come up with some code names for ourselves.  My suggestion to you is that you come up with a superhero name that --

• plays off your real name, or
• describes what you do for a living, or
• describes some personal or character trait of you, or
• just plain sounds cool

Doug:  I'm going with Kid Pedagogy, as both my full-time job as well as my side gig with the USHMM involve that vocation -- specifically in world history, Holocaust history and literature, and economics.  I love teaching, and as I've probably said before (and I'm sure will say again) -- if you could get the politicians out of education, everyone would probably be better off.  Be that as it may, below is a shot of me in action and a drawing I've posted before, done for me by Mike Babinski, an artist who's done some work for DC and who I had as a student in the early 1990's.  Oh, my super power?  Of course, it's to make dead guys interesting!

Doug:  So what are you going to call yourself?

Discuss: Power Ballads

Doug:  Karen has previously expressed her disdain for power ballads of the 1980's, particularly calling out one of my personal fave bands, Journey.  Me?  I can go with a good power ballad.  A particular favorite is The Flame, by Illinois rockers Cheap Trick.  So, where are you on the spectrum of love/hate?

Discuss: The Guardians of the Galaxy

Doug:  All things Guardians today, kids -- comic appearances, your favorite character (Yondu's my guy), thoughts on the upcoming film and modern line-up, etc.

Don't forget about us...!

Discuss: Camelot 3000

Karen: Yea or nay? 

Doug Says: Check Out Some of My Stuff! Updated for 2012

Doug:  Recently some of our readers have been clamoring (OK, probably "asking politely" is a better way to put it) for new photos of the comic room in my basement.  As I had a free couple of minutes last week, I took some photos of the shelving.  The rest of the room looks basically as it did several years ago when I first ran this feature.  However, about a year ago I wanted to make the display look more like a library and a bit less like a conglomeration of everything I've acquired through my collecting life.  While I didn't get rid of anything, I did box up close to 40 action figures and accessories.  That allowed me to reorganize the books and categorize them.  I've enjoyed this, as I go to the shelves often for the comics reviews we do here on the BAB -- it's just much easier to find what I'm looking for now.  In regard to the action figures, I basically kept out the ones I liked the best; you'll notice some specific groupings which I think are fun to look at.

Doug:  The shelving unit was custom-made by the carpenter who finished our basement.  It's about 6 feet high, with three compartments across by five high.  You can get some scale by checking out the height as compared to the Archives/Masterworks; I believe the Marvel Legends Giant-Man build-a-figure is 15" tall.

Doug:  I've tried to do a lay-out today that approximates what the shelving looks like in real life.  Of course some of my camera angles weren't exactly what I'd hoped for, but I think you'll get the idea.  Clicking on any of the individual images will get you something larger that will be kinder to your eyeballs.  Let me know what you think, and thanks for checking it out!